Mimic
by Zeptora
Summary: In the deserts of Vacuo, Dust Runners bring dust to all corners of the kingdom. Mimi Valus is a new runner on her family's caravan that's about to go out on its next run. But, Vacuo is an unforgiving place with scorching heat, and Grimm who eagerly await their next victims. With war plaguing the horizon what kind of monsters will rise from the sandy wastes? (Cover Art By: Sean Ngo)
1. The Dust Must Flow

The room was quiet. Adjusting the oxygen flow on his life support the old man gave a tired sigh. Being confined to his wheelchair it was one of the few things left he was still able to physically do. The large window that took up the whole wall behind him was the only light that filled the room. It was heavy overcast today. Calmly, once he had the proper flow of oxygen, he began to organize the papers on his desk. As he was just about done there was a sudden gust of cold air, and a loud crash as the door to his office was thrown from its hinges, and smashed through the window behind him. The papers were a mess, but he didn't mind.

"You seem to be in good health all things considered," the old man spoke calmly. The one who destroyed his door strode into the room. The old man's wheelchair had a motor in it which allowed him some degree of movement as he came out from behind his desk. "I know why you're here," he managed to say as he painfully stretched to pick up some papers that were on the floor. "And, personally, I don't blame you." A cold hand seized the old man by the throat, and lifted him from his chair. Through pained gasps he managed to get out, "Please…may I…say something…first?" After a few moments the hand dropped him back into the chair. The old man went into a coughing fit as he readjusted his oxygen flow, and took deep breaths. Once he had regained his composure he looked his guest in the eyes. He could still see that same hatred from all those years ago burning within. "I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness as I don't believe myself to deserve it. Nor do I want it as that would be an insult to my former comrades." His hand, shaking from his age, gently brushed his wispy, white hair from his face. "But, I would like to understand. For both of us to understand fully what happened." He took a deep breath as he waited for an answer. A curt nod was all he got. "Thank you," he said as he took one of the papers from his desk.

* * *

It was a warmer day than usual all things considered. The beating Vacuo sun was high in the sky. Mimi wiped the sweat from her brow, and brushed her black hair out of her eyes. It was about to touch her shoulders. While she inspected her new bow, and arrows she made a mental note to visit Carls for a haircut when she returned.

It was a busy midweek afternoon in the bustling merchant village of Solace. Dust stalls dominated the village square as a fresh vein had been discovered in the nearby mine. The short, caramel girl paid the crowd no heed as she was on the job. Her family owned a caravan that transported dust across the vast deserts of Vacuo, and she was now old enough to join her family on their next run. "Ain't you kids supposed to be in school right now?" a familiar, coarse voice called to her.

Without missing a beat Mimi turned towards the voice, and responded, "I'll have you know I'm fifteen now, Mr. Frader," she stood up straight, and puffed out her chest. The old man gave a laugh.

"Ohoo, my apologies, Ms. Valus. I mistook you for that rambunctious kid that would ditch their classes to watch the village militia practice combat dril-" The old man couldn't finish without going into a coughing fit. Mimi walked over, and offered him a waterskin from her pack, which was gladly accepted. When his coughing subsided he looked her up, and down, "Hardly recognized you in that getup."

"I just picked it up from Merry." Mimi gave a twirl to show off her new outfit. A loose fitting white shirt held down with leather straps, and buckles. Sturdy brown pants, and ankle high boots. Her waist cape fluttered slightly in the breeze.

"She does fine work." He leaned back in his chair as the sun was starting to creep passed his shop's front awning. Mimi gave a sign, and nodded in agreement. She knew what he wanted to say, and that he was still trying to find the right way to phrase it.

"I'll be fine."

"I know."

"Mom, and dad have done this countless times."

"I know. It's just…" Mr. Frader was the village's loving grandpa. Everyone knew him, and he knew everybody. He hated seeing his 'kids' go.

"I can handle myself. Besides," she twirled the bow in her hands, "I'm not defenseless anymore."

"I know lass, and you never were. Just gonna be quieter around here while you're gone." The two exchanged one last smile, and Frader gave her a last confident squeeze on the shoulder before he let her go. "Take care of yourself, Mimi." The two exchanged a single nod, and Mimi returned to her task at hand. The caravan team was loading dust crates onto the skimmers; similar to a medium sized boat except made to 'skim' along the sand while carrying cargo, and is usually pulled by two horses. Jerry, a boy about to hit twenty, was adjusting the canvas roof for one of the skimmers when Mimi arrived.

"You get that special delivery I asked for?" he asked as he tied the last knot to keep the tarp in place.

With a grin Mimi said, "Yup. Your girlfriend makes great cookies," she rubbed her stomach, and tossed him a bag from her pack.

"SH- She's not my girlfriend," he hastily inspected the contents of the bag to make sure Mimi hadn't eaten any of the cookies meant for him.

"Right. Sure. You two just happened to go to school together. Hang out all the time. Sleep over at each other's homes most nights you get. And are such good, normal friends that she bakes treats specifically for you when you head out."

"Your smarmy grin is ruining my cookies. I think your dad wanted to see you at the head skimmer." He waved her off while hugging the bag of cookies to his chest.

She stood as straight as she could, and gave a salute, "You got it, boss." Jerry smiled, and returned to prepping the skimmer as Mimi went to find her father. There were a total of four skimmers in her family's caravan. Jerry was the head of one, her mother the second, a retired miner named Coaltun was in charge of the third, and her father helmed the fourth which was at the head of the caravan. Philip was banking his late forties, but never showed it as he kept his body in top physical condition. He was feeding the horses when Mimi approached. And, immediately, went into dad mode.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes."

"Enough water for a four day trip?"

"Yes."

"Backup water for the fifth, and sixth day?"

"Yes."

"New clothes fitting you properly?"

"Yes."

"Not to tight around your-"

"DAD," Mimi's face went red as her father gave a chuckle.

"Just giving you a hard time. It's not every day you take part in your first run." He gave her a loving smile, and rustled her hair, "Couldn't help it."

"Just because YOU forgot your extra change of clothes your first run doesn't mean our daughter will." Rain came up behind Mimi, and placed her hands gently on her daughter's shoulders as she raised an eyebrow at her husband. "She got her excellent prep skills from me." Mother, and daughter exchanged a high-five. Her father just shook his head as Mimi walked with her mother to their skimmer. "Tom already loaded up our skimmer early this morning. This is probably our biggest dust run of the year." Rain parted the tarp that covered her skimmer to show it filled with crates.

"ALL of that is dust?"

"Most, two are just extra supplies. When they said they struck a good vein they meant it." Mimi could only nod in agreement as she looked at all the crates. When the sun was beginning to leave its highest point the caravan departed Solace. Mimi sat in the front of the skimmer with her mother as a calm desert wind picked up. This was the day she officially became a Dust Runner. This was the day she was waiting for.


	2. Vacuo Hospitality

As the sandstone buildings of Solace faded into the hazy distance Mimi found out the real test of a dust runner; battling boredom. While being on watch was needed to make sure the local Grimm didn't sneak up on them there wasn't much else to do when things were quiet. Each skimmer was manned by at least two people; one to steer, and another to repel Grimm. Without Grimm the second person either did watch, or tried to pass the time. She found her mind wandering. For a while she watched Jerry whose skimmer was behind them. His black hair was kept up in a short ponytail, and his skin was a few shades darker than her own. He also wore simple clothes like herself, but he had pieces of leather armor strapped on. His second was a feline Faunus named Bates. She remembered Bates was always hanging out with Jerry since they were little. She smiled to herself as seeing them together on the job brought back memories of watching their antics as a little girl. They were practically twins except for the cat ears Bates was sporting, and his eyes were yellow, while Jerry's were hazel. Mimi guessed the two guys were handsome since they both had girlfriends. Love wasn't her specialty. She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Bates waving to her. "Enjoying the view?" he asked while flexing his arms with one leg propped up on a crate.

"Eh, I've seen better," Mimi gave a shrug, and a smug grin.

"Be nice," Rain said from the front of the skimmer with a smile, "We've still a long way to go before we reach Karsk." Jerry also gave a flex which caused Mimi to roll her eyes, and went about looking off into the distance. The first day passes. The rolling dunes of the Vacuo desert were beautiful in their own way. Wisps of sand danced from the crests of the dunes as a dry wind picked up. Crawling over the crates Mimi decided to sit in the front of the skimmer next to her mother. Mimi resembled her mother greatly as she looked like a younger version of Rain. The second day passes. The horses on their skimmer had brilliant ginger hair, and well toned muscles which was a sign of good breeding, and training so that it was more than able to tackle long treks through the desert. The sun is about to begin setting on the third day. The tarp on their skimmer is a nic-

"What do you see?" Mimi snapped out of her thoughts as her mother called to the skimmer ahead of them. Coaltun, a man whose muscles had muscles, was looking off to the north. His second, a human woman named Natile, had a bow in hand, and also looked to the north. Mimi followed their gaze to one of the larger dunes. There was a sand cloud rising on the other side. Bates grabbed a spear from the floor of his skimmer, and Mimi grabbed her bow. Seconds passed. Minutes. All eyes were on the northern dunes as the caravan began to pick up its pace. As they moved further east so too did the cloud. Even the horses seemed uneasy. Then, as if carried on the wind itself, a bellowing howl echoed around them.

"Tighten!" Philip gave a commanding shout, and all drivers whipped their horses into a run while bringing the skimmers closer together. Terric, a hound Faunus, was Philip's second who emerged from the skimmer with a spear. The sound of horse hooves matched the pace of Mimi's heart as the cloud finally came over the dunes. At first it looked like men riding horses towards them. But, as they drew closer Mimi saw them for what they truly were. The body of a horse, but where the horse's head should have been was the upper body of a 'man' with a head that resembled a bull's skull. Centaurs. Their crimson eyes hungrily stared at the caravan as they barreled towards them at incredible speeds. There were four in total, and they split into two groups as they were about to reach the caravan. "Crystal!" Another shout, and the skimmers assumed a diamond shaped formation with one skimmer in the lead, two side by side behind it, and one picking up the rear. Mimi, and Rain were in the middle next to Coaltun, and Natile's skimmer. Natile began firing arrows, but Mimi was gripped with fear. Her eyes were locked with one of the centaurs. Unbridled rage, and savagery burned within them. This would mark her first encounter with the creatures of Grimm.

"Mimi!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her trance. She couldn't sit around in her own fear like a little girl. Her family was on the line. While she did practice with a bow whenever she got, her aim still wasn't the best, and her first two arrows sailed passed their marks with the third being batted to the side by one of the centaur's muscular arms. An arrow from Natile struck one of the centaur's front legs in the knee which caused the beast to trip, and fall on its face. At the speed they were going the Grimm tumbled, limbs bending in wrong directions as they broke, and even going airborne for a second, before skidding to a stop, and disappearing in the sand cloud that they were now leaving behind them. The three remaining Grimm managed to reach the skimmers, one had an arrow in its eye that went after Natile, and Coaltun. The second decided to take on Bates, and Jerry, while the last rode up next to Mimi, and Rain. A clawed hand tore the canvas roof from the skimmer. This caused Mimi to lose her footing, and fall to the floor. She looked up, and was face to face with the centaur. Her bow had skidded to the back of the skimmer. Rolling to the right she barely dodged as the centaur tried to grab her. Mimi's hand brushed against one of the spears stashed on the skimmer's side. Grabbing it, she regained her footing, and faced the Grimm. It swung at her with a backhand, but Mimi ducked it. As she came out of her duck she lunged her spear forward barely puncturing the side of the Grimm.

"Aim for the man part!" Bates called ahead as he was still dealing with his own centaur. This was easier said than done. Mimi hadn't had much practice with spears, and this was her first time using one on a moving skimmer against a moving target. So, she looked to Bates again. As she did she took in his form; his movements, his balance, his technique. Her brown eyes flashed with light for a second as her semblance activated. She turned back to the centaur who was lunging for her again. This time, though, Mimi jumped back dodging the grab, and landing on the crates behind her. She leveled her spear at the centaurs now exposed torso, and thrust it deep into its right shoulder. The Grimm howled, and backed off from the skimmer with the spear still stuck in its shoulder. Leaping down, Mimi grabbed another spear. Surveying the other skimmers Mimi saw that both Natile, and Bates managed to kill their centaurs, but Natile had a nasty gash on her left arm, and was out of the fight. The remaining centaur, too, seemed to survey its situation. As both Bates, and Terric drew bows the centaur broke chase. It slowed its pace, and disappeared in the sand cloud behind the caravan. The caravan remained on high alert, and full speed for a few more minutes until they were certain the danger had passed. Once in the clear Mimi dropped the spear, and collapsed against one of the crates. She put her back against it, trying to catch her breath, and slow her racing heart. While they could have kept going they decided to stop at the next oasis to set up camp, and treat Natile's wound. Keeping the water pool on one side of the camp, and using the skimmers as a 'wall' on the other they gathered together. Rain was practiced in medicine, and tended to Natile. As the sun set the caravan gathered around a fire to eat, and celebrate their survival.

Bates went up to Mimi, and gave her a noogie, "Don't think I didn't see you, copycat. Those signature moves were mine."

"Stooop, I just needed to get the footing," she groaned, and fruitlessly struggled against Bates.

"Tis a fine semblance you got there, Ms. Mimi." Coaltun, although built like a giant, had a very soft, calming voice. Bates let her go, and returned to his spot next to Jerry. "Though, why didn't you use it when they were far away with the bow?"

Mimi took a sip of water, and blushed, "I still can't use it very well." She sloshed the water around in her waterskin, "It's really draining on me, and I didn't want to be spent if they did manage to get close." Her eyes lowered to her lap, "I don't want it to be a go to, one time use crutch, so I tried my best without it." Coaltun nodded, and passed her some of his bread.

"A fine answer. Just don't forget to use it. Your semblance can't grow if it's never used."

"Oh trust me," Jerry piped up, "She uses it plenty. Just, not during times she should." A death stare from Mimi was returned with a devilish grin from Jerry.

"What do you mean?" Rain asked as she changed Natile's bandage.

"He's just makin-"

"Don't think I didn't notice you that day when we visited your class. You remember, right? The day you guys had that big test." Mimi could feel the temperature drop behind her as she felt her mother's eyes on her back. "That test you totally aced?"

"NO! Mom! It's not what you think." Rain rose to her feet, "My semblance can't copy someone's brain. Remember? Only physical things they do like fighting techniques. I did not use it to copy someone's knowledge for answers."

"Of course not," Bates was now the one wearing the devil's grin, "You used it to mimic the gestures his hands were making, and matched his place on the test."

"BATE- ACH!" Mimi was yanked by the collar of her shirt, and dragged off to one of the skimmers. "Mom! Please! It was really hard, and the subject was borin- ACH!"

Philip took a sip of his water as he was roused from his nap, "You know she won't forgive you, right?"

Jerry looked him in the eyes, and said, "She ate my favorite cookies." Philip nodded, and returned to his nap. This would also mark the day Mimi received the harshest talking to from her mother.


	3. Looming Storms

Unlike Solace, the village of Karsk was built on top of an oasis. It's buildings were made out of both sandstone, and wood from the surrounding trees. There were many paths that wove their way through the village, and a large pool of water marked the village's center surrounded by trees. Mimi's eyes were wide as the caravan entered the gates, and made their way deeper into the village. It was almost midday when they arrived, and the streets were bustling. "This your first time in Karsk?" As Mimi had been starring off some armed men had gathered to escort them through the crowded streets. The one who spoke was riding next to her on his own horse, and was looking at her with a friendly smile. He wore armor, and had a sword sheathed at his hip. The orange markings on his armor were shaped like a wolf's head , and matched those of the other people escorting them.

"It's beautiful," she couldn't keep her eyes off the 'roof' of the street.

"It helps with the sun," he pointed to the buildings that lined the street, "Putting trees on top of the buildings, and angling them towards the street offers a sort of natural awning for the people. Though meant for its practicality, it definitely does have a beauty to it." He outstretched a hand, "Steel, First Company Karsk Militia."

"Mimi Valus, Dust Runner," saying that, and shaking his hand sent a tingle down Mimi's spine. She was an official dust runner who was completing her first run.

"Always a pleasure to meet you folk. Without your supplies we'd be easy picking for those damned Grimm."

"Have they been getting restless lately?"

Steel shook his head, "No, but having dust to amplify our weapons sure helps."

"Why do you ask if they're getting restless?" A woman asked as she slowed the pace of her horse to be just in front of Steel's. Her armor was similar to his except it had more scratch marks on it, and the wolf markings were also proudly displayed on her chest piece instead of just the shoulder pad. Probably someone important judging by how quickly Steel straightened his back, and clammed up. Though that might be because he liked her. Mimi had to admit this new person looked nice. Her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, she had sun kissed white skin, and her eyes were a piercing blue. Mimi swore she saw Steel blush a little.

"We were attacked by a band of centaurs not a day's trip west," Rain responded with a serious tone. The woman looked troubled, and rubbed her chin.

"Our scouts hadn't reported any being that close." She mumbled to herself before turning to Steel, "Tell Sam to do a major sweep to the west. If they're getting that close I wanna know. Especially if it's in Solace's direction." Steel gave a salute, and took his horse down one of the many side streets. The woman looked almost embarrassed, "You have my sincerest apologies if they caused you trouble, dust runners. Ever since we got involved in that war with Atlas, and Mistral most of our best have been sent off to the front lines." Mimi had heard about this. A few weeks ago Vacuo had officially kicked both Atlas, and Mistral out of its boarders, and sided with Vale in some major conflict. This was the first time she had seen any repercussions of it in person, though.

"They're pulling local militias?" Rain sounded concerned.

"Aye, most of my best were taken when we first got the news." The work of keeping the village safe while being under manned must've been getting to her as Mimi looked closer, and saw bags under her eyes. "Still, we of the First Company will always be here to keep things safe," she gave a wink to Mimi, "And if not then tell whoever's in charge that Sandra Wilter will be kicking their butts later." Mimi couldn't help but smile at Sandra's upbeat attitude. Sandra continued to talk with Rain, and Mimi until they reached the trade post located just off the water's edge. The building was rather large at three stories while the other's around it rarely went to two. She, and the rest of the First Company bid the caravan farewell before returning to patrolling the village streets. Once the skimmers were brought in front of the supplies loading entrance all the seconds got off, and began unloading the crates.

"Is all this meant for Karsk?" Mimi asked her father as they were unloading the crates.

"Just the ones in Rain's, and my skimmers. Jerry's, and Coaltun's will be going to Sarss which we'll take a detour to hit on our way back to Solace."

"What's wrong," Jerry poked, "Getting tired, copycat? Just copy this," he pulled back the sleeve of his shirt, and gave a flex.

Mimi looked at him, and flatly stated, "Even if I could mimic someone's physical attributes you would be the last person I'd copy." Jerry gripped his chest in mock hurt.

Bates appeared behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders while starting to sing, "Oh, my dear, my dear, why must you send me your coldest stares.~" She brushed him off as Jerry began to sing.

"Why must you be so cruel, my dear, my dear.~"

Then they sang in unison, "To a gentle, yearning, softly burning heart. Such. As. Mine.~" They went back to back, and extended their arms towards Mimi. Their expressions were overcome with emotion.

"Hm," Mimi stood unmoved. She took out a journal from her pack, "I wonder what Scarlet would think if she knew you were swooning me?" she said, and wrote something.

"You wouldn't dare, copycat," Jerry squinted his eyes, and leveled a finger at her.

"Try me, lover boy." Mimi twirled the pencil between her fingers as they stared each other down with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Sam ran as fast as he could. His horse was already butchered, as was the rest of his scouting party. He dove behind a rock. The sun was just about to finish setting, and light was getting dangerously low. _If I can just get over this last dune_ , he thought, _Just one more dune_. Sam dared a glance out from behind his hiding place. He could see the remains of his party. The sand ran red with their blood, and some of his own as his defensive aura had faltered from the attack. He was vulnerable. Everything was silent. Where had it gone? _I've gotta warn the captain_. Yet, his legs refused to move. Refused to leave the rock. _I don't wanna die_. His eyes, again, drifted to the corpses of his former party. _I won't die here_. He risked it. With all his might he pushed himself off the rock, and sprinted for the crest of the dune. Then he heard the galloping. His legs just pushed harder. He ran faster as the galloping drew closer. If he looked back it would slow him down. If he looked back he would die. The dune's crest was mere feet away, and he stretched out his hand as if to grab it. A glint of hope formed in his eyes as he could just see the lights of civilization. A glint that was quickly forced into the sand as a spear sailed through the air, and pierced his hand forcing him to the ground. He cried out in pain as he tumbled to the ground. Only a few feet away. He crawled. With all he had left he crawled. He crawled until the hoof slammed into his back shattering his spine. There were no screams left in his lungs to give. The centaur, still holding down Sam with its hoof, grabbed the spear, and ripped it from his hand. Tears fell to the sand as Sam resigned himself to his fate. The Grimm, however, hesitated for a moment. It looked over him. Then it moved its hoof around on his back as if to check how much of his spine it had broken. Apparently too much. The Grimm raised the spear in the air, and brought it down through Sam's head. It watched Sam's life fade from his eyes. It drank in the glorious despair felt only by one whose life was just taken. Keeping its hoof on his back it ripped the spear from the dead man's head. The centaur walked to the crest of the dune that overlooked the village of Karsk. The grip on the spear tightened as it looked from the village to its right shoulder, and the scar that adorned it.


	4. Danger Magnet

In order to beat midday congestion the Valus caravan decided to set out the next morning after getting a good night sleep in comfy, safe beds, and having a warm breakfast prepared at a nearby inn. Mimi was enjoying some eggs when she overheard some militiamen talking at a nearby table. "I'm telling you we got bandits."

"And I'm telling you we don't," the second one retorted. He hastily ate his breakfast as the conversation continued. "We cleared all the bandits around here years ago. Besides, did you see what happened to Sam's group?" This perked Mimi's attention as she remembered Sandra saying a man named Sam was going to scout out the area to the west for restless Grimm. "That wasn't a bandit group."

"You mean what was left? Yeah. And last I checked Grimm don't use spears. The centaurs don't even pick up rocks to use as weapons, let alone a spear, and they're the smartest bunch of monsters around." He drank a swig of his drink, "As much as I hate to admit it."

"But what if it was a Grimm? What if they're learning?" The conversation quickly hushed as the two hastily looked around to see if anyone had heard them.

"Come on, we'd better get on patrol." The two paid their tab, and quietly left. Mimi's grip tightened around her fork. Grimm using weapons? The thought was both absurd, and terrifying. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Dwelling on crazy things wouldn't do her any good. She finished the rest of her breakfast, and joined her mother at the skimmers. As they exited the western gate Mimi saw multiple groups of First Company militia scouring the lands around Karsk. Sandra was among them, and gave a friendly wave as she saw the caravan leaving. Whatever had attacked Sam's group had the whole militia on edge. Mimi hoped it was bandits, which in hind sight was an odd thing to wish for. Luckily the increased militia activity seemed to have driven away all the Grimm as the first two days to Sarss were peaceful. It was the second day, and the sun was setting. They found an oasis with a relatively large pool of water, and a few trees. Camp was set with one side against the water, while the skimmers were used as walls for the rest. A fire was built in the middle, and everyone gathered around for dinner.

"Yup," Bates hopped on the crate Mimi was using as a seat, and was looking at her face.

"What?" she responded.

"You're troubled by something," Bates' cat ears flicked up, and down as he spoke, and leaned in closer to her face. Mimi pulled back.

"To close," she put her hand on his face, and gave a good shove.

"AGH!" Bates fell off the crate onto the sand with a thud. From behind the crate an accusing finger rose, and pointed at Mimi, "Pushing me away only proves I'm right." He hopped back up, and sat next to Mimi, "What's up, copycat?"

"You're annoyingly persistent, you know that?"

"Yup, now stop dodging the point." Although he was being a bit snarky Mimi knew Bates generally cared.

"I guess…I can't get something out of my head I heard some guys talking about back in Karsk." Bates' ears stopped flicking around, and diverted their full attention to her. "Did you hear about what happened to the scouts back in Karsk?"

Bates nodded, "Yeah. Heard some people on the streets talking about it when we left." He faced her, "You worried about bandits?"

"Yeah." She gave a heavy sigh, "This caravan is everything to me. It's my home." She looked over to Rain who was talking with Philip about something, "My family." She looked to Coaltun, Jerry, Natile, and Terric who were playing a card game before returning to look at Bates, "My friends."

"Ah, don't get all gloomy on me, copycat. That kinda thing doesn't suit you." Bates hooked his arm around Mimi, and gave her a gentle noogie. "We're more than capable of protecting you."

"I don't know if you remember, but I've already fought off a Grimm myself." She puffed out her chest, and raised her nose into the air, "I've grown."

"I've noticed," Bates gently rustled Mimi's hair. "Wanna join in on some cards before heading to sleep?"

"Maybe in a bit." Bates nodded, and strode over to the card game leaving Mimi to her thoughts. She hopped off her crate, and walked to the edge of the camp by the skimmers. Despite being a desert things cooled down quite a bit when the sun fell. The cool breeze softly floated by as Mimi calmed her thoughts. _It's just rumors._ She wrapped her arms around herself as a sharp breeze sent a chill through the air. She turned back to the inner part of camp. Terric had swapped out with Bates, and was talking with her parents as they sat at the water's edge. Although it was supposed to be a free-for-all it was quite obvious the card game was going Jerry, and Bates versus Coaltun, and Natile. _Maybe-_ The sound of a horse coming up behind her brought her out of her own thoughts. They usually let the horses wander around the camp site before tying them up for the night. As she turned to greet the horse she was suddenly picked up off the ground as a cold, jet black hand grabbed her head. Mimi's eyes looked up in horror as she saw her captor was a centaur. It had somehow crept its way closer to the camp using the dunes as cover. Still holding her, the centaur quickly picked up to full speed as it crashed through camp.

"MIMI!" Her mother gave a horrified cry as all eyes were drawn to the centaur. It barreled through camp, and into the water. The water went up to just below its knees, but it used its unnaturally strong legs to push through at incredible speeds. Once it was a good distance in the pool away from camp it stopped, and threw Mimi into the air. Her mind was racing as she sailed through the air only to come crashing down into the water. The Grimm reared up on its hind legs, and gave a chilling cry that echoed around them. A cry that was picked up by others. Five more centaurs emerged from a nearby dune, and charged the camp. Although Jerry, Coaltun, Terric, and Philip were able to grab spears the others were still stunned by the confusion.

"RAIN! Snap out of it!" Philip shoved a spear into his wife's arms before he spun around to deflect a fist aimed at his head with his own spear. Bates leapt into the air, back flipped into the skimmer they were using as a back rest, and grabbed a spear of his own. Jerry joined him as they fended off two centaurs that started circling the skimmer. Terric dashed to Natile's side as her arm was still weak. Coaltun looked furious as one of the Grimm charged them. A dark gray aura surrounded his arms as he picked up the crate he was using as a chair, and slammed it into a centaur as it tried to take a swipe at Natile as it rode by. Dust crystals littered the ground. The sound of bones breaking was followed by the centaur falling, and crashing into the water before it dissolved into a black mist.

"You damned monsters stay away from my wife!" He picked up a splintered piece of wood that was still large, a red dust crystal, and readied himself as another centaur charged them. Mimi burst from the water coughing. She was sore from the fall, and she tried to steady herself in the knee deep water. The sound of hooves crashing through water was all the warning she got. Dodging to the right she narrowly avoided the centaur's charge. Her eyes went wide as she saw it wasn't a clawed hand she was avoiding, but a spear. The Grimm continued its stride, and circled back towards her. It held the spear in its right hand, which looked oddly familiar. When she regained her footing, and closer at it did she realize why. The centaur's right shoulder had a scar that looked like it was caused by the spear it carried. The spear matched those stored in the skimmers. And, its eyes burned with unnatural hatred as it stared Mimi down. This was the Grimm that got away all those days ago when their caravan was attacked. It was the one who killed Sam's group. And now it aimed to kill her; the one who scarred it. She wasn't sure if it was the cold water, or her own fear that caused her legs to shake, and body to tremble. It charged again. Being in knee deep water made movement difficult, and all she could do was attempt last second dodges. She missed the dodge, but her aura managed to deflect the blow. The force still sent her crashing into the water. The centaur looked unfazed by this development, and just circled around for another charge. Mimi knew what it was doing, and was horrified. Within those few days it had not only learned to use a spear, but also learned that people had auras that protected them, and that enough damage would bring it down. It was whittling down her defenses. Each charge Mimi felt her aura weaken as she tried, and failed to dodge. It always waited for her to get to her feet before it charged. Was it mocking her?

"Damned Grimm!" Jerry spat as he managed to slip passed the centaurs defenses, and impale it through the mouth. "Bates?"

"Still here, captain!" Bates was having less luck with his centaur. Luck that changed as Jerry was now free to help him. Coaltun was fighting alone as their Grimm managed to put a deep gash in Terric's stomach knocking both her, and Natile out of the fight. He had some cuts, but looked unfazed otherwise. Rain had snapped to her senses, and helped her husband bring down the centaur they were fighting. But, not before it gave Philip a nasty black eye, multiple bruises, and knocked him out. Rain had a nasty cut on her leg that made moving painful, and some bruises of her own.

Rain looked over to where Mimi was before giving another cry, "NO!" Mimi's luck had run out. A brown sheen passed along the length of Mimi's body as her aura was depleted. The next charge dug the spear into the right side of her stomach, and Mimi cried out in pain. With the combined efforts of the speed the Grimm was going, and its aim, which it had honed over days of killing, the spear punctured through Mimi impaling her on it. The centaur didn't stop running. It dragged Mimi through the water which only dug the spear deeper, and deeper into her as she left a trail of blood through the pool. After a few more feet of dragging her around it brought the spear into the air which forced Mimi to slide down the spear's shaft fully, and with a powerful swing flung her into the water. Mimi took a chance. When the Grimm flung her from the spear she grabbed it, and kicked the badly beaten shaft of the spear. The centaur hadn't properly maintained, or used the spear which left it weak. Her foot connected, and the spear broke in half. Blood sailed through the air, and stained the water where she crashed. The Grimm actually looked surprised at this as it held the back half of the now broken spear. It looked over to Mimi. Slowly, painfully, she stood up, and ripped the front half of the spear from her gut. Digging deep into herself she looked over to the camp. She looked to Bates who was still fighting. Something painful churned in her gut, and her lungs started to dry up, and burn as she forced her aura to reactivate. Her eyes flashed. Understanding seemed to dawn in the Grimm's eyes as it looked at her, and remembered. Mimi faced the centaur, and lowered the broken spear to a ready position. She knew she could only fight for a minute or two at most before her body would collapse. Her eyes were filled with hateful defiance as she met the centaur's stare. The emotions filling the air; despair, hatred, anger, fear, sent the centaur into a frenzy. With a bellowing cry it once again charged her. Their eyes locked as Mimi readied herself to fight for her life.


	5. Of Mimics and Centaurs

Mimi braced herself as the centaur barreled towards her. However, instead of trying to strike her, and keep going the centaur rode straight up to her with the back half of the spear raised overhead. She quickly changed from an anti-cavalry stance to a more general defensive one. The Grimm slammed down the broken spear which caused Mimi's knees to buckle. Following up its first strike the centaur again brought the broken spear up, and went for a horizontal swing. Not making the same mistake twice Mimi deflected the blow as best she could. Her already weakened aura wavered, but she forced it to remain stable. She tasted blood, and realized her nose had started to bleed. Spitting the blood to the side Mimi returned her focus to the Grimm. Luckily she had Bates' combat experience on her side. He had spent four years on the caravan as a second, and his father was one of the militia in Solace. They would often train together, and this experienced muscle memory was the only thing keeping Mimi alive. She swore if she got out of this she would find a way to properly thank Bates for all his unintentional help. Another vertical strike. Mimi deflected, and side-stepped to the left. Seeing an opening she thrust her half of the spear forward, and pierced the 'abdomen' of the Grimm. It gave a howl before back-handing Mimi. The force sent her tumbling into the water a few feet away. Her aura again wavered, and again was forced to remain. There was a sharp pain in her left eye, and her vision slightly blurred as blood vessels burst. Keeping this up was slowly destroying her body, but it was also the only thing giving her a chance at survival. As she attempted to regain her footing she felt a shadow overtake her. Diving forward into the water she barely dodged as the centaur had gone onto its hind legs to slam them down in an attempt to crush her. Surfacing she analyzed her current position. Behind her, roughly sixty feet away, was the camp. If she could continue defending while backing up she could eventually get back to shore where there was no water to hinder her movements. As she took a step back an arrow sailed passed her. The centaur batted the arrow aside, and snarled at the shoreline.

"Get away from my daughter!" Her mother had gotten a bow, and some arrows from the skimmer. Another shot soared, and was knocked away. The centaur seemed rather annoyed at this. Its fight was being interrupted. But, when it sensed the fear from Mimi as it started to gallop towards Rain it knew that the person shooting it was someone special to its prey. It broke into a sprint. Without thinking Mimi lunged in the way of the charging Grimm. As it went to bat her aside Mimi, instead of dodging, took the hit, and grabbed onto the centaur's arm. Both Rain, and the centaur were shocked, but the Grimm didn't stop its stride towards the shore. Hiking up her legs she let go of the centaur's arm, and landed on the horse part of its back in a rider's position. Rain didn't dare fire another shot with Mimi so close to her target. Instead she turned, aimed at the centaur assaulting Coaltun, and fired at its neck. With the Grimm distracted Coaltun thrust the piece of wood he was using as a club, which was now on fire from the red dust, and impaled it into the Grimm's chest. With a gurgled cry it collapsed, and faded into a black mist. Rain turned back towards the one charging her in time to see it just about to reach the water's edge. She dove into the nearest skimmer for protection, but tripped on her bad leg, and ended up lying on the floor of the skimmer. Mimi finally steadied herself on the centaur's back just as it reached the shore. She lunged forward wrapping her left arm around its neck. The Grimm gave a startled cry, and began bucking wildly. It swung its arms to hit her as she clung to its back. Each hit was another shock that pummeled her rapidly fading aura. The pain in her gut intensified, and her head started feeling light. Gripping the front half of the spear she still held in her hand she lifted it into the air, and brought it down into the centaur's right eye. Another pained cry, but the Grimm refused to die. It dropped its half of the spear, reached both hands over its head, grabbed Mimi by the shoulders, and slammed her onto the ground with all its might. The impact shattered her aura, and a large amount of blood exploded from her mouth from the pent up backlash. Finally free from Mimi's grasp the centaur ripped the front half of the spear from the eye socket of its skull, and aimed for her head. But, it quickly pulled back as it dodged a thrust from Jerry who was now standing between the centaur, and Mimi. The five centaurs that had accompanied it were dead. They did some major damage to the caravan, however, and the scarred centaur's hunger was more than filled from the overflow of emotions it had consumed during the fight. With four fighters still standing, and wounds of its own, the centaur decided retreat was the best option. As it ran Rain, and Bates tried to stop it with arrows, but it managed to slip away over the dunes. Once it was had disappeared beyond the dunes Rain rushed to Mimi's side. "Mimi! Mimi!" Her daughter's body was badly beaten, and bloodied. Both her nostrils were bleeding, and her left eye was red from blood.

Coaltun looked to Bates, and Jerry, "Help me gather the wounded. We'll bring them to the center, and rebuild the fire." They nodded, and gathered their injured comrades. Natile, and Terric were both conscious, and assisted Rain in treating Philip's, and Mimi's wounds. Coaltun, Bates, and Jerry were the least injured so they rebuilt the fire, and immediately went on watch. While normally one would need to move after a battle with Grimm for fear of attracting more the only ones to truly worry about were the centaurs which only went out in raiding parties. Since they had just beaten back a raid there wouldn't likely be any more in the area. But, one can never be too careful when dealing with the creatures of Grimm. Everyone was wary, beaten, and tired.

"Luckily the horses were untouched which means we can still use all the skimmers," Natile tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah," Rains tone was dry, and her eyes never left her husband, and daughter's unconscious bodies. She changed the bandage around Mimi's stomach wound from the spear. It was already in need of changing.

"You've a fine, strong daughter, and an equally so husband, Mrs. Valus. They'll pull through with a bit of rest, and tending." Rain sighed as Natile, and Coaltun's kind words slightly soothed her. "But, I cannot say the same about the mother who has still yet to treat her own injuries." Rain bit the bottom of her lip. Her leg was still actively bleeding though only slightly.

"It's only a-" She was cut off as Terric sat next to her with bandage wrap in hand, and looked Rain in the eyes. The hound Faunus had a determined look in his eyes. Rain sighed as she allowed him to tend to her wound. "Thank you, Terric." The hound grunted as he bandaged her leg.

"We should move them into the skimmers so we can leave immediately in the morning," Natile moved to Philip's feet. "Give me a hand, dear?" Coaltun gently lifted Philip by the shoulders while Natile lifted his feet. Bates, and Jerry cleared one of the skimmers of crates, and set up blankets to soften the wooden floor. Rain laid Mimi down next to her father before sitting on the skimmer's edge. Philip's breathing had become stable, and his aura shimmered back to life an hour later. Mimi was taking shallow, pained breaths. Her aura shimmered every now, and again, but never fully restored itself. Rain sat on the floor near Mimi's head.

She softly spoke to daughter's unconscious body, "When you wake up, young lady…" she gave a somber laugh, "You're going to be in so much trouble…" Her hands were restless, and wouldn't sit still. "Your father, and I have told you to not over exert yourself when it came to your semblance..." She gripped her knees, but that did little to help. "Prepare to get the longest talking to of your life. You're still a growing young woman…" She sniffed as her nose started to run. "There's so much your father, and I want you to see. This world of ours…is a beautiful place. It's filled with wonders you could only dream of as if straight out of one of those fairy tales I read to you when you were younger. People whose lives you will help shape, and who will shape yours in turn." She took a shaky deep breath, "There's danger, too, of course. You know that now more than anyone. But...never forget how beautiful it all is. The places you'll go. The people you'll meet. The things you'll see, and do." She softly stroked Mimi's hair. "And, I'll always be here for you…" Tears rolled down her face. "When you wake up."


	6. Cost of Neutrality

Philip awoke in a makeshift bed of crates, and blankets as a mattress with the sun shining in from the open back of the skimmer's canvas covering. Everything was sore. He took a deep breath, and tried to sit up. His joints cracked which felt rather nice as he began to stretch for the first time in what seemed like forever. Looking to the head of the skimmer Philip saw Terric driving who looked back, and gave him a nod. Terric was never one for much talk, but that calm came in handy during these kinds of situations. Moving to the back, and taking a seat Philip saw the rest of the caravan. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw all the usual people manning their posts. All except for Rain's skimmer. Rain was driving, but he didn't see Mimi. Giving a wave to his wife he saw her face lighten up a bit from its apparent dark demeanor. "How is she?" he already knew the answer, but had to ask.

"Still asleep," Rain didn't look like she had much sleep, "How're you feeling?"

"A bit sore, but otherwise alright." Rain gave a nod.

"That's good." Her eyes wandered to Mimi who was asleep in her own makeshift bed. Her breathing had calmed, and her wound seemed to be clotting nicely. Without the proper equipment it was the best they could hope for until they reached Sarss. There was a long silence among the group. Philip also felt a tension in the air, though, that didn't seem normal even with Mimi in her current condition. He scanned the horizon, and sure enough found the source of the unease.

"It's been following us since we woke up." Jerry said when he saw Philip finally notice. Following them, just beyond the range of their bows, was the scarred centaur. It held the two halves of the broken spear in each hand as it galloped behind them. "If we speed up it speeds up. Same thing if we slow down." He turned around to look at it, "It gives me the creeps."

"And it's just been…following?"

"Aye," Coaltun wiped some sweat from his brow, "Seems like it's just content with following us for now. We're hoping it pisses off when we reach the village." He spat off the side of the skimmer, "Damned monster." Philip felt a lump in his throat as the thought of that Grimm constantly behind them sent chills down his spine.

"How much further?" Philip asked without taking his eyes off the centaur.

"Should be coming up on it soon. We've been traveling since the crack'a dawn…" Coaltun trailed off as his eyes were drawn to the horizon in front of them. "Did the people in Sarss use a lot of chimneys?" Confused, Philip went to the front of his skimmer, and looked towards the horizon. There were plumes of smoke rising from the dunes ahead of them from the direction of Sarss. A tense silence swept over the caravan. As they drew closer the smoke began forming overcast leaving the caravan in an ominous shade. Mimi silently stirred in the skimmer. Philip already had an idea of what they would see when they crossed the final dune, but nothing could have prepared him for what he actually saw. The village of Sarss was like Solace in that they used sandstone as their primary building material. And the sand was burning. From the top of the dune that overlooked the village they saw destruction like no other. Bodies dotted the landscape of what was probably Sarss' remaining militia forces. The walls that surrounded the village had massive holes in them. And, what buildings they could see were crumbling, and burning down. "By the heavens."

"Take us in," Philip sat next to Terric, "Let's check for survivors before the Grimm get a whiff of this." The caravan galloped down the dune towards the village gates, which were wide open with the massive wooden doors splintered at where it would normally lock. The streets were no better. Smoke clogged the air as buildings either burned, or smoldered to rubble. Roofs, and walls either had massive holes in them, or were no longer there. Craters littered the street alongside the bodies of the former villagers. Mimi once again stirred, and managed to open her eyes. The crate she was on let her see over the edge of the skimmer at the scene around them. She desperately wished to go back to sleep. "Hello!?" Philip gave a call trying to overpower the sound of flames, and collapsing structures. "Is anyone out there?!"

"I don't like this," Bates picked up a bow, "This is a little more than even the biggest centaur raiding party is capable of." As the head skimmer rounded a corner Terric feircely pulled on the reins of his horses to stop them, and the rest of the caravan, in their tracks.

"What's going on?" Panic gripped Rain's voice as she called ahead. Around the corner was the second main street in Sarss. The street was lined with bodies, and centaurs. But, there was something off about them.

"Be careful," Philips called back, and motioned for Terric to take the street. Begrudgingly, he obliged, and started down the center of the large street. They passed centaur after centaur, but none of them attacked. Most of the Grimm just stood in place, while others listlessly wandered. They all had their noses in the air, and mouths open. It almost looked like they were drinking something, but there was nothing there. A few looked at the caravan as it passed, but otherwise paid them no mind, and went back to 'drinking'. The south-west gate out of Sarss came into view. "Almost there. Just keep calm. No one provoke them." Philip was terrified, and confused. "How're you holding up Rai-" he stopped as when he turned back the lump in his throat returned. The scarred centaur had gone through some side streets, and was now galloping next to Rain's skimmer mere feet away from Mimi. Rain was glaring the Grimm down, but it paid her no heed. Instead, it was looking at Mimi who was now awake, but still lying down. She returned its stare as their eyes were locked. Or, rather, the one good eye the Grimm had left starred into her eyes. Despite being a horrible monster, Mimi felt a sense of calm from the centaur. The rage it felt for her still burned within its eye, but there was another thing there, too. Cockiness. Pride. It wasn't afraid of them. Not when they were surrounded by others who would jump at them as soon as they tried anything. As soon as they left the gates of Sarss everyone broke their horses into dead sprints. The scarred centaur idly followed after them in no particular rush. The caravan got on route to Solace. They had to tell people what had become of Sarss. Mimi couldn't move, but was fully awake now. She couldn't even speak as the pain in her gut never left, and she had a massive headache.

"Hey, where'd it go?" Philip crawled to the back, and looked out to Bates as he called out to them. The scarred centaur wasn't behind them anymore. Everyone immediately went on high alert. Their horses were still breathing heavy after their sprint away from Sarss, and wouldn't be able to outrun a raiding party.

"Diamond!" Philip gave the call. There weren't any Grimm in sight, but he had a bad feeling about this. The skimmers drew closer together. There was silence as everyone held their breath waiting for whatever was going to happen. Silence. Wind. Silence. As Philip was scanning the horizon there came the sound of distance explosions. There wasn't any smoke around them, or signs of any explosion. Terric looked at him, and shrugged, but immediately spun his head to the north. His hound ears twitched as he listened. Philip, too, strained his ears to hear whatever had caught Terric's attention. Softly, ever so softly, he heard something. _Whistling?_ As he listened more intently the whistling started to get louder. It became louder, and louder eventually turning into a scream. "What th-" he was cut off as the screaming stopped, and the ground around them exploded.


	7. Shooting the Messenger

The last thing Mimi heard was her father getting cut off by an explosion before everything went black. Her ears were ringing, and she felt warm sand against her face. _Wasn't I lying down in the skimmer?_ She tried to move her head, and open her eyes, but her vision was blurred. The world looked like it was spinning. As she waited for the ringing to stop, and the world to stop spinning Mimi felt oddly cool. _Am I in the shade? There weren't any trees around where we were._ As her vision returned she saw that she was now laying in the sand with the skimmer overturned on top of her. Thanks to its hollowed interior it wasn't crushing her, and acted more like a large, wooden roof instead. Though, she looked down to her legs to see a large gash going down her right thigh, and her left ankle was twisted in a direction she knew wasn't healthy. The ringing died down which gave Mimi a chance to collect her thoughts. _What happened? Where's mom? What was that scre-_ A loud thud against the skimmer shook her from her thoughts. _Grimm?_ There was a gap between the ground, and edge of the skimmer large enough for Mimi to see out of. The first thing she saw was a boot. There were also some figures nearby, passed the boot, though her eyes hadn't adjusted to the bright sun from her dark hiding space yet.

"Are these boats?" The voice came from right outside; most likely the owner of the boot right next to the gap. He sounded young, "These barbarians are using things meant for water on land. HA! And you said we should be careful when dealing with them, Frost." _Dealing with them?_ Her eyes adjusted further, and she did all she could to hold in the gasp that wanted to escape her mouth. Splintered wood, and shattered remains of skimmers littered the ground outside. One of the skimmers was on fire. The scent of blood was in the air, and she saw bodies.

"Yes, and from my vantage point I saw the entire caravan go on alert when you fired your initial volley. What if they had escaped, and warned someone?" Another young man, though he sounded a bit more gruff than the first one. Frost, and the other man beside him didn't look over thirty, there were strange devices slung over their backs, and they wore what looked like armored clothing with teal insignias. Mimi recognized the insignias from a newspaper she had seen a few days ago; they were Mistral insignias. Her body began to tremble as she desperately tried to remain as still, and quiet as she could. "Don't compromise our mission because of your arrogance, Fox."

"But, they didn't. And, we get more dust for when we finally invade this dustbowl." She heard more thumping as the man outside was probably patting the skimmer triumphantly. "I mean, these people are so uncivilized." Frost shot him a glare. "THEY USE BOATS ON LAND! Who does that?"

"And, yet, that doesn't seem to hinder them." The third man, the one next to Frost, finally spoke. He was opening the surviving crates, and seemed to be taking inventory. Fox got off the skimmer, and waltzed over to the rest of the group. As the three continued to talk Mimi's eyes wandered over the remains of the caravan. She saw Jerry sprawled on one of the partially intact skimmers, but he wasn't moving. Bates was a bit closer to her. His body was partially covered by sand that was probably kicked up from the explosions. The sand around him was red, and he also wasn't moving. She saw the legs of her father poking out from behind the crates the three men were at. She couldn't see Terric, Natile, or Coaltun due to her limited view, but her mother was out in the open. Rain's body spasmed as she coughed. Mimi was ecstatic that someone was alive, especially her her optimism was short lived. The three men turned when they heard the cough. "Damn."

"Artillery fire's messy," Fox said, and shrugged as the three walked over to Rain. Mimi was too far away to hear if she was saying anything, though she was starting to move more.

"I thought you Atlas types didn't like messes?" Frost raised an eyebrow at Fox.

"That's why we also have rifles," he responded, and took the device, which Mimi assumed to be a 'rifle', off his back. He put his boot under Rain's shoulder, and flipped her over onto her back. Mimi's body shook with fear, and anger, but wouldn't move as her instincts told her she would die the minute they spotted her. Rain lifted an arm to her face to block the sun as Fox stood over her, and pointed one end of the rifle down at her. "Orders, captain?" his tone was mocking as he followed his chain of command, and awaited his orders. Rain turned her head to not stare at the sun, it was obvious she was still disoriented. Frost's face betrayed no emotion as he looked from Fox to Rain. Rain's eyes met with Mimi's. _MOM._

"Fire." A loud bang rang out from the rifle, and Mimi watched her mother's eyes glaze over, and body go limp. Mimi's body froze. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Yet, while there was sadness in her heart a different emotion filled Mimi; rage. Fox had a cocky grin on his face as he slung his rifle back over his shoulder.

"They are still people, Fox," the third man spoke.

"Ah, shove it, Shiro. A target's a target be it: wood, paper, or flesh." Shiro rolled his eyes.

"Enough. Load up the intact crates in the truck. We've wasted too much time here as is." The three men took the remaining crates somewhere Mimi couldn't see. She could hear more noises, but her mind mostly blocked them out. When they left, and the noises stopped, Mimi began to crawl. _…M-mom…_ Her legs screamed at her as she dragged the wounds across the sand, and the pain in her stomach returned. _...Mom…_ But, Mimi continued on. _Mom._ Slowly. The sun beat down on her back, and her tears mixed with sweat as they ran down her face. Eventually, she reached Rain's body. _Mom…Mom…_ Rain didn't move.

"Mom…" Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "Mom…Mom…" She softly shook Rain's body. There was a small hole in her chest over her heart. "M-…Mo-" Her body gave out, and she collapsed onto her mother's corpse. Mimi wasn't sad; she was furious. Her family. Her friends. All gone in the blink of an eye to terrifying power she had never seen before. And the ones who did it were laughing at them. Fox's grinning face was implanted in Mimi's mind which only furthered to fuel her growing anger. But, what she hated the most was herself. She couldn't do anything. She even laid in the skimmer pretending to be unconscious so she wouldn't have to face the scarred Grimm back in Sarss. _I'm no adult…_ Her hand clenched into a fist. _Just a kid who wanted to see the world as one…_ She felt her consciousness slipping as the Vacuo sun continued to beat down on her. As her eyes shut, and her mind fell silent, the last thing she heard were hooves galloping towards her.

* * *

The scarred centaur walked into what was left of the caravan. Craters littered the surrounding landscape along with splintered wood. It picked up the first body it came across; a hound Faunus. His legs were missing so the Grimm tossed the upper torso aside. It continued surveying the wreckage for something. It had waited until the three humans had left in their metal box on wheels. It lifted half a skimmer, but found nothing. It stamped its hooves in frustration. Had the three humans taken its prize? The thought quickly passed as it rounded the burning skimmer, and found what it was looking for. It drank in the despair that hung in the air like a refreshing flow of cool water on a hot, Vacuo day. But, it also tasted something else as it approached. Pure hatred; like a fine wine that ran as red as the blood that stained the sand at the girl's legs. The centaur picked up Mimi's limp body by the collar of her shirt, and grabbed her chest with its other hand. Her heart still beat. If it had lips the Grimm would be smiling. It tossed her onto its back, tore off some tarp to cover her with, and galloped into the desert.


	8. The Horsemen

"The Horsemen. Galloping Death. Centaur. All applicable names each with their own flair on the creature," the old man spoke as his guest followed behind through the manor. The office had become too chilly for continued conversation so he managed to convince his guest to move to the library instead. Candle sconces lined the wall, and lit the otherwise dim hallway. "It's honestly quite amazing how a single species can attain so many names for itself with how little we know about them." He motioned to a door on their right, and the guest pushed open the massive oak doors. "My apologizes for having you do this. I'd normally have one of my butlers do such tasks, but…well," he looked to his guest, "Was it quick?" No response. "I see." He moved into the room. The motor of his wheelchair softly echoed in the vast, domed library. "A shame, really. If you had sent more notice of your arrival I'd of sent them away for the evening. But, I see you're still not one for survivors." He came to a stop at a long, wooden table that had a plethora of books sprawled over it. Some were open, others closed in stacks, and many more lay in piles on the ground. The guest picked one up seeming to read the cover, and skim the first few pages. "Page seventy six for that one." They raised an eyebrow at the old man. "That page is the only place that book mentions the horsemen." Quickly flipping to the page, sure enough, there was a brief paragraph on the centaur Grimm. "Honestly, we have the world at our fingertips, and for what?" He gestures to a scroll lying on the table. The guest tried turning it on, but the battery was dead. "There's more information in all these books than on that stupid thing. Though I can't fully blame them for this little blunder." He adjusts the flow of oxygen, and continues, "After all, the population of centaur Grimm seems to have gone to near extinction since the end of the Great War. I guess people stopped caring about them enough that many sites no longer list them among their archives, with the few that do only having worthless speculations, or just a simple paragraph on them." His guest looked at him as they put down the scroll. "Indeed. These books are some of the only places left to find anything on the horsemen anymore."

* * *

The sun had set behind the dunes by the time the scarred centaur reached its destination. Dotting the deserts of Vacuo are large rocky mountains that can sometimes have winding caves that snake through them. The Grimm's eyes softly glowed in the twilight, and it slowed its pace approaching the mountain. Human eyes wouldn't be able to see it in the darkness, but the centaur's could: a cave opening in the rock face. It stood at the entrance, and gave three sharp bellows, followed by a short howl. After a minute of waiting a centaur emerged from the cave entrance. It matched the size of the scarred centaur, but it didn't have as many battle scars.

The guard mooed at the scarred one, and pointed to the tarp on its back. Scarred partially lifted the tarp to reveal Mimi's unconscious body hanging limp on its back. The guard mooed curiously at Scarred. When the guard went to grab Mimi to see her for itself, Scarred stabbed the guards hand with the broken spear it still carried. With a howl it quickly pulled back before it bowed its head, and softly grunted to itself as it inspected the now wounded hand. Scarred snorted, and motioned with its spear for the guard to go back into the cave. The guard obliged without resistance. The tunnel wove its way up, and down, left, and right before the two Grimm arrived at a fork in the tunnel. The guard mooed, and returned to its post at the entrance tunnel awaiting either a call, or intruders. Scarred snorted again before continuing on deeper into the mountain. There were no torches on the walls by the entrance as the Grimm had no need for unnecessary light, and didn't want their caves to be commonly disturbed by travelers. Deeper, and deeper Scarred traveled. It passed by other centaurs that were patrolling the tunnels, or fighting over food in offshoot caves. The food screamed as the Grimm tore into their flesh. They all turned their heads as Scarred passed with their eyes fixated on the tarp.

There were distant noises that grew louder the further Scarred traveled. Torches also began to adorn the walls, but they weren't meant for the centaurs. As it turned at a fork in the tunnel it came upon the noise's source: the mournful cries of people. Multiple tunnels branched off this main one with a few centaur patrolling through them, and occasionally bellowing at one of the occupants to rile them up. These tunnels were overflowing with strong, negative emotions that many of the patrolling centaurs would stop to 'drink' before continuing on with whatever they were doing. One of the guards grunted as Scarred approached. It noted the tarp on Scarred's back, and pointed down one of the tunnels. Giving a snort, Scarred continued on, and grabbed a bag that was sitting on the ground at the tunnel's entrance. The various tunnels that branched out were lined with small, offshoot caves that appeared to have been carved out by some means, or another, but were definitely not natural. In each cave was a single person; usually cowering at the furthest wall from the entrance. Some of the occupants were completely nude, while others had some scraps of clothing they still clung to. The clothed ones gave off the best tasting emotions as they still desperately clung to what little they had left even if it was nothing more than a single sock. That's not to say the nude ones weren't any good, but it was like drinking beer instead of water. More flavorful with room to age, but not just a bland taste of defeat. It was that extra spunk that Scarred loved in its meal; if a Grimm could 'love' something. There was one empty cave at the end of the tunnel that was fairly spacious with the one across from it currently being occupied by a female cat Faunus with mismatching clothes. She looked up as Scarred approached, and grunted at her before tossing Mimi into the spacious cave. Without words the Faunus rose to her feet, and weakly shuffled over to Mimi's cave. Her eyes never left the floor, and would make anyone think she was dead if they looked at them.

After inspecting Mimi's body she turned to Scarred, "I'll do what I can." Her voice was coarser than sandpaper even though she looked to be in her early twenties. Scarred grunted, and tossed the bag at the girls feet. It watched intently as the Faunus took out medical tools from the bag before giving Mimi a full physical, splinting her twisted ankle, and attempting to dress her various wounds. Scarred continued to stand by, and watch as the girl worked for nearly half an hour before returning all the tools to the bag, and handing it to the Grimm. It took the bag, and mooed at her. "She's in excellent shape for her age. No obvious infections. Aside from some serious injuries her aura has stabilized," she never looked Scarred in the eyes, "She'll recover in time, and if I continue treating her." This seemed to be enough for Scarred, and it gave another moo before going into the adjacent cave that housed a man in his forties.

"N-no. Please, no! It's all I have! Haven't you monsters taken enou-" The Faunus girl didn't even wince as she heard the man's skull slam against the stone wall. There were some muffled sobbing sounds as Scarred emerged from the cave, and approached the girl. She held out her hands, and Scarred dropped a single right hand glove into her waiting palms. Clutching the glove to her chest she scurried back to her cave, and sat down trying on her new article of clothing. It was a leather glove that went up most of her forearm, and didn't match the short, cotton glove on her left hand. She showed no signs of this bothering her. Scarred snorted again before slinging the bag over its shoulder, and walking up the tunnel. It visited every day for updates on Mimi's condition while she was unconscious as it wanted to make sure its prize didn't go to waste.


	9. Rise & Shine

Mimi felt cold. She wasn't sure how long she had been lost in the darkness. Trying to remember what had happened only brought flashes of images. Fiery explosions. Shattered wood. Red sand. Her body inherently tried to move, but found itself being restrained. It felt like someone gently putting their hands on her trying to stop her. The hands were warm. After stabilizing her breathing the hands retreated, yet she still felt a presence looming over her. They gently rubbed her eyes to get the sand out to make them easier to open. Mimi felt strained as her eyes opened to the view of rocks. _Am I…in a cave?_ There were sounds echoing around her, and she felt the stone beneath her.

"Good, you're awake." Turning to the right Mimi saw a cat Faunus kneeling next to her. The Faunus was cleaning Mimi's wounds. "Your wounds are closing rather nicely. Even that nasty one going through your gut." Managing to regain function in her left arm Mimi felt bandages around her stomach as she inspected her body. _Looks like everything's still attached._

"Who…are you?" Mimi really needed a drink.

"Chris," the Faunus replied, and took out a canteen from a bag sitting next to her. She lifted Mimi's head slightly, and pressed the canteen to her lips. "Slowly." Doing her best to follow instructions, Mimi drank as slowly as she could. The water was cool, and rejuvenated her dry throat.

"Thank you," while barely above a whisper it was something. Chris nodded, and set the canteen aside. Mimi looked around now that she was more awake, and was quite confused. It looked like she was in a cave, but the light coming from the entrance was a torch. It also looked like the cave went out into a tunnel of some kind. _Am I underground?_ As the rest of her senses woke up she rolled to her side, and vomited.

Chris gave a sigh, "I just finished feeding you. Try not to be wasteful." _Wasteful?!_ The stench of death was everywhere as she tried to hold back her stomach from another vomit. Baleful moans filled her ears that danced along the cave's walls furthering the assault. _What is this place?!_ She turned back towards Chris with a pleading look.

"You're in Hell." Mimi stared at the Faunus as she stated this like some mundane fact.

"Wh-…what?" Chris raised an eyebrow, before grabbing Mimi's chin, and looking at her ears.

"You can hear, yes?"

"Y-yes I can hear," she batted Chris' hand away, "What do you mean he-" She froze unable to finish her sentence. In the entrance of the cave was now standing the scarred centaur. It met her gaze with hungry eyes. Mimi gave a scream, and jolted away from the Grimm. Her sudden burst of movement didn't go over well with her muscles that weren't used to moving, and Mimi tripped back hitting her head on the stone wall. Blasts of images from her duels with the Grimm raced through her mind. Then, she looked to Chris only so see an almost annoyed expression on the Faunus' face.

"If you move like that you'll not only open your current wounds, but you'll end up getting new ones as well." She gave a heavy sigh, and picked up the bag bringing it over to Mimi. _WHAT!?_

"Do you…do you not see-"

"Him?" she didn't even look back at Scarred, "Yes. Now, stop squirming, or I can't treat you." Chris gave another sigh as she read the confusion on Mimi's face. "How much do you know about them?" She lifted Mimi's shirt, and began inspecting the stomach wound.

Trying to calm down without taking her eyes off Scarred, Mimi responded, "Not…much." They continued to stare each other down as Chris continued her work. "But, aren't Grimm-"

"Monsters?" Chris cut her off, "Do you think anything, but monsters would do this?"

She knew she would hate the answer, but asked, "What's 'this'?" Chris fell silent, and momentarily paused before continuing.

"You'll see now that you're up." _What's that supposed to mean?_ "Though, you might not have it too rough considering you're claimed."

"Claimed?" Mimi took her eyes away from Scarred since it hadn't moved since appearing, but made sure to always glance in its direction.

"Yeah, by him," she gestured towards Scarred, "You're his now."

"Wha-" Mimi was cut off as Chris covered her mouth with her hand.

"No useless interruptions. Understood?" She waited until Mimi nodded before removing her hand.

"What do you mean by 'claimed'?" Mimi pulled up her sleeve as Chris examined her upper arms.

"While most of the people here are free game for any centaur to farm from, some are 'claimed' by certain members." _Farmed?_ "If said Grimm can enforce its claim then the person can only be used by that one Grimm for farming." She looked up at Mimi's face, "Following so far?"

Mimi gave a slow nod, "Kind of. How do you-"

"I've been here for seven years. You tend to pick things up when you're here for as long as I've been." Mimi was speechless. _Seven years? Of this?_ "Anyway," she removed a bandage from one of her right arm scratches to inspect the scab, "Since he's claimed you none of the other centaurs should bother you too much so you'll only have to sate him for the time being." _Sate?_ Mimi wasn't liking what Chris was saying so casually.

"So," she looked back to Scarred, "You…work for it?" Scarred snorted.

"It pays." Mimi was about to ask what she meant by that, but noticed Scarred was holding something. In its right hand was the spear it usually carried, but in its left was what looked like a single sock. _She's getting paid in clothing? How does it even know clothing has any value to people?_ "They're not mindless beasts." Mimi jumped as Chris was starring into her eyes, and had read her expression.

"But, Grimm have no souls."

"You don't need a soul to have a mind. While most Grimm are just mindless beasts the centaurs are anything but. Especially him," she motioned towards Scarred, again, "He was always one of the smarter ones, and ever since he came back with those scars he's only gotten smarter." _Great, so it's my fault._

A thought crossed Mimi's mind, "Why are you calling it a 'he'? Grimm are…Grimm."

Chris shrugged, "Kinda got tired of calling all of them 'it' so I've named all the ones I've seen the most. Since Scarred over there shows mostly alpha traits I call him a 'he'."

"You've named them?" Mimi raised an eyebrow.

"Scarred's the one who owns you." _Don't remind me._ "And, there are two other centaurs that you'll probably have direct contact with." Standing up Chris offered a hand to Mimi. After a short struggle with getting her legs to work she followed Chris to the edge of the cave. _I guess this is my cave?_ Scarred watched, and made a grunt, but otherwise just continued to stand by. Pointing up the tunnel Mimi saw a centaur that was walking rather oddly. It almost looked like it was marching. "That one's Sarge. A few years ago there were some militia men that were brought here. They defied the Grimm by going about everything they did with military precision; even though they were just some militia. After a while that one started trying to march to appear as the one 'in charge'."

"What happened to them?"

"They're dead." _No sugar coating…you're a real thoughtful person, Chris._ "As for the third that would be Chief. You'll meet him later."

"Why?"

"He's in charge of the farms." Again, Chris mentions farms, and doesn't elaborate. Mimi started looking from cave, to cave up the tunnel.

"Why are we the only ones outside our caves?" Most people were either huddled at the back of their cave out of view, or sitting at the entrance watching the two of them. Scarred snorted at this. _Did it understand me?_

"You're claimed by Scarred who's standing right there. I'm the only one with medical knowledge, so they usually leave me alone so long as I don't cause any trouble." She brought Mimi back into her cave. Chris finished her inspection, and put everything back in the bag before standing, and walking over the Scarred. It took the bag, and handed her the sock. She scurried back to her cave as Scarred watched amusedly. Then it turned its attention to Mimi. The two glared at each other. Mimi with hate, while Scarred held more triumph in its eyes. It walked into her cave which caused Mimi to push herself flat against the back wall. She felt disgusted as she closed her eyes, and felt Scarred sniff her all over. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run, but she knew better. Scarred was trying to freak her out. It wanted an excuse for a chase. She continued to stand against the wall unmoving. It snorted when Mimi didn't move, and walked out of the cave. Mimi opened her eyes, and the two locked eyes one last time before Scarred left. Once it was gone, Mimi collapsed to the floor as fresh tears started to form. _Welcome to Hell, Mimi._


	10. Harvest Season

Mimi didn't sleep well her first 'night' in the cave. She wasn't sure how Chris did it as the Faunus seemed to be sleeping soundly despite the noises, and constant feeling of being watched. _I guess seven years'll do that to you if this is your day-to-day._ The back of the cave felt the safest, but the stone there was colder compared to the mouth of the cave which was slightly warmer from the torches that lined the tunnel. It didn't matter much, though, Mimi was sure that even if the stone she slept on was toasty she wouldn't have been able to sleep soundly. All the joints in her body hated her when she tried to get up. While there wasn't much point to do so, Mimi fixed her hair, and brushed it with her fingers as best she could. _Just find little things. Little things to keep me busy. To keep me-_ Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard hooves coming down the tunnel. _Figures; no time to wake up._ Doing some quick stretches to make sure at least her legs worked Mimi waited at the back of her cave. Sure enough, Scarred emerged from the tunnel, and greeted her with a snort. She glared at the Grimm, though Scarred didn't seem to mind. The spear it carried was still the broken one, but the two halves were stuck back together with some kind tarry substance which seems to have repaired it. Scarred tapped butt of the spear three times on the ground, and made a motion with its head. _It wants me to follow?_ Mimi didn't move, and could swear she heard Scarred sigh from frustration. It tapped the spear on the ground again, but harder, and mooed at her.

"Just go with him," Chris had woken up, but was still lying on the ground.

"But-"

"They've broken legs for less." Mimi felt a lump in her throat. Her ankle still hurt to walk on, but it wasn't a broken leg. Scarred was about to start tapping its spear again, but Mimi hobbled forward. Her joints were still sore, and her ankle was killing her, but she did her best to walk to the mouth of her cave. The centaur looked down at her. _Probably measuring me up cause of my limp._ It grunted to itself once 'satisfied', and stepped to the side while pointing the spear up the tunnel. The lump wouldn't leave her throat as she began limping up the tunnel. _Guess I get to find out what 'farm' means now._ Scarred followed behind always keeping their eyes on her. Yet, even when she tripped, and fell all it would do is moo at her to get up. It also didn't seem to be in any rush as it was content with Mimi's slow pace. _Trying to be nice, or something?_ she thought to herself bitterly as she kept going.

Cave, after cave Mimi saw all kinds of people: adults, teens, even some children who looked no older than five. Most had very little clothing, and what little they had was torn. _No wonder Chris works for socks._ As the two went deeper into the mountain Mimi noticed the amount of centaurs in the tunnels was increasing, as were centaurs with their heads turned up in the air, and 'drinking' like Mimi saw back in Sarss. A few even held people by their necks as they went about their business. _Probably claimed?_ She turned to Scarred who was still watching her intently. _Guess I should be lucky-_ She immediately slapped herself for that thought. Scarred tilted its head, but left it alone. _I am not lucky. Don't feel relieved about something like that, or you'll end up like Chris… Who's fully clothed…_ That thought didn't help. There were occasionally larger offshoot caves that housed Grimm…eating…with a host of people forced to watch. Other caves held other spectacles of horror that Mimi was all too glad when they passed. Suddenly, Scarred was right behind her, and pushed her forward with its spear which brought Mimi out of her thoughts.

"What are yo-…" her voice failed. Mimi found herself in the entrance of a massive cavern. Screams, and shouts echoed throughout what could only be described as an arena with a massive pit overflowing with a black liquid at its center. Raised stone platforms carved from the walls were lined with both centaurs, and the occasional person who never left a specific centaur's side. Tunnel entrances were scattered along the platforms indicating even more passageways to this maze. The dark pool at the center ebbed, and flowed without current, or direction. _This…is the farm?!_ Again, Scarred pushed her up a nearby ramp to the overlooking platform. They were joined by other centaurs. One tried to make a grab at Mimi, but had its arm grabbed, and ripped off by Scarred. The other Grimm started to get riled up. Scarred, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to waste energy on a fight. As the aggressor bellowed with anger, Scarred plunged the spear through the Grimm's mouth. The spear burst out the back of its head, and its body went limp slowly fading away in a black mist. Other centaurs started picking fights as the energy in the cavern rose. _WHAT THE HE-_ Silence was forced upon the Grimm as a single, deep, bellowing howl drew all eyes to the highest platform. A massive centaur stood atop it with more battle scars than Mimi cared to count. It's horns also resembled those of deer rather than of a bull like the other centaurs. _Chief._ Once all eyes were on it, Chief gave a long moo that was picked up by all the Grimm. Out of the lowest tunnel openings, which led to the arena proper, people were herded out before large boulders were forced into the entrances; sealing the people in the arena. Some were confused, others terrified, and screaming for help from those on the platforms, and a few just stood complete zoned out. As the mooing grew louder Mimi found her eyes drawn to the pool. It was bubbling, and a shape began to emerge from the muck. Even though she was horrified, Mimi couldn't look away as, from the pool, a centaur emerged. It was smaller than most she had seen, granted, and its horns were little more than stubs. But, it was a Grimm, and others spawned after it. They looked hungry. Mimi wanted to turn away, and curl into a ball. To assure herself that what she was seeing wasn't real. But, Scarred placed its hand firmly on her shoulder locking her in place. As the carnage in the arena unfolded she felt Scarred's warm breath on the back of her neck as it was 'drinking' behind her.

After a few minutes of the 'show' Mimi found herself being pulled off to the side. Scarred was apparently finished with the meal. There were no other Grimm in the tunnel Scarred was leading her through, and it seemed to be going up. As they rounded a corner, Mimi found herself face to face with Chief. Or, face to legs, as Chief towered over both Mimi, and Scarred. Chief looked down at her. It picked her up by her wrists to seemingly inspect her in better light. Scarred seemed uncomfortable at this, but made no moves to stop Chief. It gave her a sniff, looked at Scarred with a tilted head, and gave the centaur a low moo. Scarred snorted, and mooed back. _I feel like a piece of meat at the market._ Chief seemed disinterested as it let go of Mimi. She landed on her bad ankle, and collapsed to the ground. Scarred quickly picked her up by the shirt collar, and forced her to her feet, and back down the tunnel.

* * *

Chris was starring off into space when Mimi, and Scarred came back. She could tell just by looking at Mimi where Scarred had taken her. Scarred made sure she got into her cave, before leaving. Mimi slowly shuffled to the back of her cave where she curled into a ball, and softly wept. Chris gave a heavy sigh. "How many?" Mimi stirred, and looked at her.

"...What?"

"How many?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. How many?"

"I don't know…six?"

Chris nodded, "That's pretty low. Must be a slow season-"

"People died!" Mimi's voice cracked, "We're not some…crop!."

Chris raised an eyebrow, "Aren't we?" The two sat in silence.


	11. Fine Wine

Time was an impossibility in the cave. There was no natural light, and Mimi's body's internal clock had lost when she normally went to sleep with how many times she was incapacitated. For a while she tried to follow when Chris slept, but that proved difficult as even when awake Chris would normally be laying down not speaking. Sometimes Sarge would come, and wake her up to go do something. When she returned she was wide awake.

"Don't get hung up on it. If you feel tired then go to sleep, and if not then stay awake until you're tired."

"But, you said you've been here for seven years. How do you know?" Mimi had waited until Chris got back from 'work' so she would be awake enough to answer.

"I ask," she sat down to do some stretches, "I see most new people in this section of the caves so I just ask what day, and year it is when they arrive." Giving a glace to Mimi she continued, "There were others who came in while you were still initially recovering so I got the date from them." _Reasonable, I guess._ "There are other ways of telling, too. Although they aren't really accurate." She tugged at some of her wispy hair, "Hair growth, finger & toe nails, how good a shape your clothes are in, how many teeth you've lost." _Now that you mention it…_

"You don't sound like you have any missing teeth." Mimi watched as Chris finished her stretches, and sat with her back to the wall.

"I have access to medical supplies, which includes tooth brushes. Besides," she sounded the slightest bit proud, "I managed to convince Sarge that I can't do my job without my teeth." Mimi raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh, they definitely see through it. Or, at least Scarred does, but he's not the one in charge of these caves." The centaurs, as Mimi learned, had a rudimentary caste system in place. Chief was at the top, and any that challenged his rule were quickly dealt with. Next were the 'Tenders' as Chris called them. Tenders were Grimm like Sarge who managed, and maintained sections of caves with people. If caves were empty then the tenders would get the gatherers to collect more people. Scarred fell into the gatherers group. Then, at the bottom, was the freshly spawned, and inexperienced Grimm; fodder. Gatherers took them when they went out, and tenders used them to replace burnt out torches, move dead bodies out of caves, beat when bored, and generally keep things going. However, there were really only two kinds of centaur Grimm. Those who grew smart enough to fall in line, and those who remained at their base instincts to follow those they viewed as their betters. _Kind of like a pack of wolves, but some have an almost human intelligence._ As Mimi pondered their 'meal' was delivered. As raiders who wanted to keep their captives alive they would feed everyone what food they managed to steal from caravans, or villages. Though, the centaurs truly showed their basic level of knowledge when feeding time came. Chris had seen where they prepared the food, and all the Grimm did was throw everything into a dug-out pit, and mash it with their hooves until it was a pasty substance. It was a mystery of what you would get as it was randomly scooped out of the pit. Normal people would have their food mush tossed on the floor for the occupant to eat off of, and was just enough to keep them alive. Since Chris was special, and Mimi was claimed, however, they received some special treatment: their food was put on some wooden debris the Grimm had laying around. While still demeaning it at least wasn't off the cave floor. Water was distributed by a tunnel-to-tunnel basis with every tunnel having a water canteen they shared from when Sarge would walk through with it. Refills of the canteen were seemingly random.

"So," Mimi said as she picked up her 'plate', "what do I do when by teeth eventually…you know…rot?" Over the past few…days?...weeks?...Mimi had been prying Chris out of her shell bit by bit. She desperately needed someone, anyone, to socialize with to keep sane. Even though she didn't show it often Mimi knew the person Chris used to be was still somewhere in there.

"Well," Chris replied after swallowing some mush, "You've got a rock wall, don't you?"

"You…can't be serious, right?"

Chris shrugged, "That's what most do. If you don't then you'll just have them rotting in your mouth. Would you rather a quick pain, or a drawn out one?" Mimi said nothing, and ate her mush.

* * *

"What are they paying you?" Mimi was quite curious as while Chris had still been going out for work she didn't have any new clothing on. The last thing she received was a white scarf which seemed like weeks ago.

"I don't get paid until they think I've earned it." Chris was fiddling with a rock she had laying around.

"But, you're fully clothed. What else is there to pay you with?"

"My life?" _Oh…yeah…_ A silence fell between the two as Mimi realized her mistake. Chris gave a sigh, "Don't worry about it," and dozed off.

* * *

Although she hated to admit it; Mimi was grateful that Scarred had claimed her. _This is messed up._ Most people from the tunnel were taken on a seemingly regular basis. Mimi tried to track time this way for a while, but gave up when she couldn't get the pattern right. She wasn't exactly sure the specifics of a Grimm's metabolism, or lack thereof, but Scarred would only take her to the farm a few times every now, and again. It was…confusing.

"I'm not sure what he's playing at," Chris responded as they ate. "Even for a claimed you don't get used that much."

"Thanks? I think." Chris shrugged. Because of the rare visits Mimi had quite a lot of free time. She had found a rock that she sharpened, and used it to pick at her teeth. It wasn't enough, not by a long shot, but it was more than nothing. Another, flatter rock was used to file her nails down. The Grimm also didn't seem to mind that she had them. _This would barely scrape them, if at all. Not to mention…_ Mimi had noticed a significant loss of muscle mass from her body since she arrived. _How long has it been?_

* * *

"Do you normally let your hair grow out?" Mimi was taken back as Chris was the one who started a conversation. Her eyes were still cold, but there was definitely something there, now.

"No. Not really." She was brushing her hair with her fingers when Chris asked. It was at least an inch passed her shoulders. "I was gonna cut it soo-"

"I like it." Mimi stopped brushing, and looked Chris in the eyes.

"I mean, I guess I could keep it long. It's not too much of a hassle to keep tidy." Mimi swore as she said this she saw the faintest smile on Chris' lips. _There it is._

* * *

"Happy birthday, by the way." Mimi looked at her surprised, and confused. "You said you were fifteen, right? It's been a year since you arrived." Mimi was stunned. _A year?_ She looked at her malnourished hands. _It's already been that long?_

"Huh…" They sat in silence for a few minutes as Chris allowed her to take that information in, and continued eating.

"Mimi?"

"Yeah?" Mimi looked up to see a pained expression on Chris' face.

"Thank you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not blind. You've been bugging me since you arrived breaking down the emotionless façade I built up for myself." She took off her gloves, and stared down at her own hands which had a pasty, gray coloring. "Or…Well…Not break it down, but at least put holes in it. Enough to make even someone like me smile for once."

"I…I'm glad." While Chris' words were kind, and endearing… _Why are you telling me this?_

"At least one more time…I feel the slightest bit alive…" Mimi could tell that Chris would probably be crying if she still had any tears left in her.

"Chris?" Before Mimi could continue Chris stood up. There were hooves coming down the tunnel. Instead of Sarge, Scarred appeared, and grunted at Chris. A sad, yet contempt smile was on Chris' face as Scarred led her away leaving Mimi confused. Normally her work would take a long time, so Mimi decided to ask her about her behavior at meal time when she would get back.

* * *

Sarge came through with the mush. Mimi got her helping. Sarge looked at Chris' empty cave for a second, before leaving without putting any mush down.

* * *

Mimi was asleep when she suddenly had the feeling someone was watching her. She opened her eyes, and saw Scarred standing at her cave entrance. He was holding his spear as well as some kind of pouch that was slightly bigger than a sports ball. When she sat up Scarred tossed the pouch at her feet. Mimi was confused, but Scarred made a mooing noise while motioning towards the pouch with his spear. Upon closer inspection she saw it wasn't a pouch at all; it was a dark red scarf that was wrapped around something. It was cold, and wet to the touch. Normally, survival instincts keep people away from danger, and out of too much trouble. But, when Mimi unwrapped the scarf she found her body moving on its own. Her hands grabbed the sharp rock, and her legs sprung to life, and charged Scarred. The rock didn't even pierce the Grimm's skin. Scarred slammed his fist into Mimi's stomach which shattered her aura. He turned around, and bucked Mimi back into her cave with his hind legs. Her back slammed against the wall, and she slumped to the ground. Scarred settled down, and drank in her newfound despair. It was delicious just as he'd hoped. Still clutching the rock she could only stare helplessly into Chris' eyes as she couldn't feel her legs.


	12. Rocky Gambit

Three. Sarge passes her tunnel three times during his normal patrol route before deviating for a long period of time. During this time there is a chance for one of the freshly spawned Grimm to visit the tunnels to cause some mischief. For the most part these Grimm ignored Mimi as most knew she was Scarred's, unfortunately. " _It's only a matter of time._ " Mimi looked across her cave to Chris' head which was resting on the dark red scarf. " _Eventually one of them will get cocky, and try something with you. Hopefully you can get them before Scarred intervenes._ "

"I just hope I finish before that happens," Mimi responded as she grinded a small rock against the wall. After her failed attack Sarge checked Mimi's cave thoroughly for large rocks which he took. Small rocks, however, were fine. She had built up a small pile of sand in the back corner of her cave as she spent her days filing down rocks. Next to her was a tooth she had forcefully pulled out a few days ago. Or…months ago… There was no time to keep track of days when work needed to be done.

" _That one looks about done."_ Mimi lifted the small rock, and her tooth to the light to inspect her latest work. They were roughly the same size, but the roots didn't match. She returned to filing the rock against the wall. A while ago she learned of a craftsman who was kept in her tunnel that would spend time making various trinkets with whatever he could get his hands on to keep his sanity. On the few times Scarred took her farming Mimi made sure to look into the craftsman's cave, and activate her semblance. While her knowledge on aura, and semblances was limited she knew that a semblance could grow with enough use, and under the right circumstances. Every time she passed the craftsman she would use her semblance on him. After twelve trips she started noticing results. " _Who knew you could keep what you mimicked? Didn't the muscle memory used to go away after a while?_ "

"Used to. I'm still only keeping basic movements, though." She inspected the rock again, "I feel that a few more trips will let me keep some of the finer detailing." Once satisfied, the rock was turned on its side, and she began to sharpen it. Four teeth were already replaced with sharpened rocks that ended in points. They were crude, but they stayed in her mouth when she moved, and they were sharp.

" _Only twenty six more to go._ " After some finishing touches Mimi was satisfied with the new rock tooth. She took a deep breath as the rock tooth was lined up with the spot it would be replacing. " _It won't get any less painful._ " Once it was lined up, Mimi shoved the rock into her gum. Pain screamed through her body, but she held it in place. An odd thing about aura is that while it negates permanent damage to the body while active it does so in an odd way when dealing with missing teeth. The gum wants to go back to how it was when there was a tooth so it molds itself to hold whatever is there. It heals around the 'new tooth' to keep the status quo of the body to prevent 'damage'. Discovering this fact gave Mimi the idea for her plan when she tried putting a tooth that had fallen out back in, and it worked. " _Even so, you know you're not leaving her alive, right?_ "

"I never planned it," Mimi moved her jaw around to get a feel for the new tooth, "But, there is one thing I wanna do before I die."

* * *

Scarred tried to do the 'kill friend' strategy again. The craftsman was dead. Suffice to say it didn't work exactly how Scarred had intended. " _I mean, he wasn't really a friend, so I'm not sure why Scarred did that. Besides, there are more like him down here._ "

"More like him…" Consciousness wasn't a luxury that Mimi had anymore to use as she pleased. She would find herself closing her eyes for what felt like a second only to realize hours, or even days had passed. Scarred always made sure Mimi had her mush meal, though. "Asshole…If he wants…me dead…"

" _No. He doesn't want you dead, or he would've done it already. He wants you like this._ " Mimi raised her head to look at Chris. " _He can smell it. Your plan._ "

"Plan…?"

" _Yes. He's afraid of it. He knows it's his end if you succeed, and wants to keep you from doing it while still keeping his 'favorite' meal._ " Mimi picked up another small rock she got from the farm, and began filing. Her form had gotten slower as she felt her body was nearing its limit. " _Just keep filing. Keep replacing your teeth. Keep-_ " There was a snort at the cave entrance, and Mimi turned to see Scarred standing in the archway. Mimi lightly dropped the small rock behind her as she dragged her body around to face the Grimm. " _Remember: there's some militia down two tunnels, and another craftsman closer to the farm. Mimic them._ "

"Mimic…them…" Scarred watched as Mimi continued to mumble to herself as she dragged herself towards him. She'd been doing that ever since he'd killed her Faunus friend two years ago. It was odd as Scarred was conflicted about what his prize had become because he had done that. While she gave off an incredible taste when he did it she wasn't producing that same level of despair. If anything it tasted almost like what those people who had given up on everything tasted like, but not quite. There was still a spark. Still a tinge of defiance that laced itself within her despair. The taste was peculiar, and Scarred still wasn't sure whether he liked it or not. There was also that thing she was doing with the rocks. She would just sit at the back of her cave rubbing them against the wall whenever she was awake, and then they would just disappear. He'd already taken all her clothes away, and searched her cave thoroughly, but found nothing. "Mimic…Mimic…" And, there she goes, again. She repeats that word whenever he takes her to the spawning pool to enjoy a meal. Her strange power would also be activating as he dragged her along, but as Scarred understood it that only helped in fights, and her body was in no condition to fight nor had she attempted to pick another fight with him. Sometimes Scarred thinks he might have gone overboard breaking her back, but those thoughts are quickly overtaken by how delectable she is; even with her odd taste right now. He'd have to find out another day what she was doing.

* * *

" _You're good._ " Mimi's arm flopped to the ground as she let go of the newest rock tooth. " _That one makes twenty, and all your front teeth._ "

"Twenty…Front…"

" _That's right. Now, get up. You actually finished just in time to do it._ " Sarge had just made his third round of the tunnel while Mimi was holding her new tooth in, and partially passed out. Once he got to the tunnel's entrance he headed off towards the farm for a snack. " _Quick! Drag yourself to the entrance of your cave. The new Grimm don't usually bother anyone at the back of their cave._ " Mimi could barely feel her body. " _Get dragging!_ " Slowly, agonizingly, Mimi started to drag herself to her caves entrance. She felt it; her time was almost up. Her body couldn't keep going like this. " _I survived seven years, but I never went through what Scarred put you through. Keep dragging!_ " If she wasn't so light weight her arms probably couldn't have pulled her even in their atrophied state. She lost consciousness partway through, but bit down on her tongue to shock herself awake. " _This isn't the time to be getting sleepy, Mimi. You can rest all you want after you at least get one of them. Just one._ " She used her semblance to call on the muscle memories she'd gathered to force her muscles to move. She felt the ground begin to tremble as a centaur was making its way through the tunnel once it realized Sarge, and Scarred weren't around. While it had just recently spawned only a few days ago this centaur was brash in its diet. It wanted the best of the best when it came to despair. Walking through the tunnel, it only found mediocre meals. There were a couple good ones, but there was something else. Something that drew the centaur to the cave at the back of the tunnel. An odd smell. A new taste. It got to the cave, and looked at the head sitting on a scarf. But, the smell wasn't coming from that. This new smell, this delicious new meal, was coming from the person crawling at the Grimm's hooves. " _Jackpot._ "


	13. A Grimm Fate (Part 1)

The centaur tilted its head to the side when it looked at Mimi. This was Scarred's precious meal? This broken mess of a human? Although, upon closer inspection, the Grimm started to taste it; that sweet aroma of despair mixed with hate. This was new. The centaur inspected Mimi for a bit before picking her up by her hair. " _Let him._ " She let her body go limp. This was odd to the Grimm as even the ones who had given up still wriggled when picked up this way. Truly this human was a special meal. But, Scarred wasn't here right now. Even though he was still young, the centaur had made a name for himself by bullying the even younger Grimm. There was a spot he loved to have his meals just outside the spawn pool that would make for a great dining location. " _Just a little more._ " It inspected her legs quickly coming to the realization on why she was crawling. Scarred truly was wasteful to allow this to happen to such a delicious morsel. But, that didn't matter as the Grimm felt its hunger growing. He tossed Mimi over his shoulder with her head resting on his back, and turned back up the tunnel to start leaving.

" _NOW!_ " With her last wells of strength, Mimi reared up to the base of the centaur's neck, and bit down. Some of the teeth she crafted more recently didn't pierce, but the ones she made while still coherent broke through the Grimm's flesh. The Grimm howled in surprise, and immediately tried to throw Mimi off its back. However, in doing so, Mimi ripped a large chunk of 'flesh' from the centaur's neck. While not completely known, Grimm anatomy follows normal creature anatomy in a few key places; namely in that if you sever the neck the body is useless. Mimi landed further up the tunnel, and a few people gave a shout in surprise. The Grimm collapsed to the floor. While not dead; it couldn't move other than making weak, pathetic mooing noises. Mimi wished she could hear the Grimm's noises, but she couldn't hear anything anymore. She couldn't even feel the stone she was laying on.

 _Is this it?_ Her field of vision started to close in as she could no longer see beyond a certain point. _This is how I go?_ Even though there were torches lining the walls things still seemed to be getting darker. … _You sure are taking your sweet time, death._ She lay in a world of silence as she felt her connection to life slipping. Not even Chris was speaking, although, Mimi already knew the real reason Chris wasn't speaking. _…Dying sucks…_ The darkness at the edge of her vision seemed to be getting closer as the seconds passed. She couldn't help but recall the face of her mother, and the men who had killed her. _...Mom…Dad...I'm cold…_ Her aura finally flickered out with a sheen of light passing over her body. _…I'm so tired…_ The people in the cave next to her were swallowed by the darkness, and the torches on the walls were no longer visible. Her eyelids were getting heavy, and her vision blurred. _…I'm scared…_ She still had the Grimm's 'flesh' in her mouth, and she didn't have the energy to spit it out. It didn't taste like anything she knew. She decided to have one last meal. _…I'm…I'm…_ She swallowed the flesh.

 _ **Hungry!**_ Mimi's eyes shot open, and her vision fully returned to her. The people in the cave next to her jumped at this, and hustled to the back of their cave. The Grimm's flesh, while tasting bland sitting in her mouth, tasted like the greatest meal she'd ever had going down her throat. Her head moved to look at the centaur that was still lying on the floor. It was a few feet away, but still had yet to die, and disappear. _**Hungry!**_ Mimi's arm reached out, and dragged her closer with renewed strength followed by her other arm. _**Hungry.**_ A wonderful smell assaulted Mimi's senses causing her to crawl faster. She reached the downed Grimm, and dragged her upper body on top of it. As she collapsed on top of it, and her face was against its skin, the intoxicating smell grew stronger. _**Food.**_ Saliva was pouring from her mouth as she dug her teeth into the shoulder of the centaur's front leg. It made no motion that it felt it as it probably couldn't feel what was happening below the wound on its neck. The wet sound of meat being torn apart filled the hall as Mimi took another chunk off the Grimm. Black, tarry blood splattered onto her body, and dripped from her mouth as she chewed. _So…_ _ **Good…**_ Her arms clasped at the shoulder wound she had just made, and tore some more flesh off the Grimm. Lifting it above her head Mimi squeezed the flesh causing the black blood to pour into her mouth, and down her face. It was the most refreshing thing Mimi had ever had in her entire life, and she drank it greedily. When the blood stopped falling she ate the flesh. The meat was stringy, and melted in her mouth, but was different from the blood in that it quenched her ravenous hunger instead of her thirst. She gasped for air as her body was filled with a strength not entirely her own. Her arms moved on their own tearing off more flesh to consume. The tarry blood that splattered parts of her body, instead of dripping to the floor, started to slowly snake around her like small veins. Her legs twitched, and started to slowly move to give her better leverage over the downed Grimm. More, and more Mimi consumed. Then, however, she heard something behind her, and felt a slight trembling in her legs from the floor. _Centaur?..._ Sarge was back early it seemed, as the downed centaur's howl was heard throughout the tunnels. _**No…**_ _Grimm?..._ The centaur charged down the tunnel when it saw Mimi slouched over the body of a downed centaur. _**No…**_ _Enemy?..._ Mimi spat out the rocks that were in her mouth, and in the way of eating more flesh. New, sharp teeth had grown in their place. _**No…**_ _Then…What is-_ Mimi's gaze was drawn to the body of the downed centaur as it finally succumbed to its injuries, and dissolved into black smoke. _Ah…I see…_ Sarge was a mere ten feet from Mimi.

 _ **F**_ _O_ _ **O**_ _D_ _ **!**_ Mimi's legs sprung to life as she spun around, and hurled herself into the air at the charging centaur. Sarge was caught completely off-guard by her burst of speed. Her mouth clamped around the front of the Grimm's neck, and tore it off with ease. More black blood splattered onto Mimi before Sarge dissolved. _**More…**_ _MORE!_ Swallowing the meat, Mimi began to move forward. The first few steps were slow as her legs shook from being unused for so long. By the time she reached the end of the tunnel the black blood had completely enveloped her legs, and she was walking normally, but hunched over in a primal manner. The people in the caves only stared in horror as Mimi passed; half her body was covered by the tendrils of the black blood, and her mouth hung open dripping with drool. However, when she killed two more centaurs that were coming to investigate a few of the braver, and new captives made a break for it while yelling into the tunnel to 'run for it'. Naturally, this attracted more Grimm as the smell of hope started to flood into their domain as the cry was picked up, and more people started to flee. Some stayed put in their caves, but many more saw nothing to lose, and everything to gain. But, many of the Grimm that responded ignored the fleeing captives because there was another smell in the air. A smell that even dominated the hope for freedom. Fury. Unbridled hatred. Mimi didn't mind. In fact she welcomed the Grimm that came for her with open maw. The tunnels were in complete chaos as more, and more people fled, and Grimm fell. _Not_ _ **enough**_ _…_ _ **Not**_ _enough…_ She continued to wander the tunnels in search of more food stopping only briefly to eat any that came up to her. Some even tried to run away from her, but she was able to quickly close the gap. As she was eating one of the younger centaurs an aroma caught her attention. It smelled amazing, and was coming from deep within the tunnels. Mimi was drawn to it. Even though she had eaten countless Grimm this smelled different. She wanted it. She **needed** it. The smell led her into an all too familiar arena with a pool of black tar in the center. Scanning the room revealed it to be completely empty other than a lone centaur at the opposite end of the cavern. Chief's magnificent antlers cast menacing shadows in the torchlight along the walls. For possibly the only time in her life Mimi was ecstatic to see Chief. Such an old, and powerful Grimm… _He_ _ **must**_ _taste…sooo…_ _ **good**_ _…_ Her mouth watered as she imagined the flavor. Chief narrowed his eyes as Mimi shambled towards him. _Come on._ She started to pick up her pace. _Come on!_ Chief reared back onto his hind legs, and bellowed with unmatched authority. _**COME ON!**_


	14. A Grimm Fate (Part 2)

Mimi broke into a full sprint as the delicious smell that hung in the air around Chief grew stronger. The Grimm bellowed in defiance, and stood its ground. When she was within ten feet of the Grimm Mimi leapt at Chief's neck to take him out the same way she got Sarge. However, the centaur was fully aware of her attack, and grabbed her head while she was airborne with its large hand. With incredible strength Chief lifted her above his head before slamming her into the cavern floor. The impact sent cracks sprawling along the solid rock ground out a few feet. Surprisingly, Mimi's head didn't crumble to the impact, and she only felt a minor headache as the black tar enveloping her body shot to the back of her head before the impact hit to cushion it. Chief tilted his head, and leaned in as he looked at the thoroughly uncrushed victim. Mimi clenched her right hand into a fist, and punched Chief in the face as he drew close. There was a loud crack, and Chief let go of Mimi as he riled back in pain, and shock. His boney skull head had a new, large crack running down his left eye. He gave a furious roar as Mimi slowly rose to her feet with a twisted smile on her face. The smell that had drawn her here was pouring out of Chief in waves that sent shivers down her spine as it assaulted her senses. Her mind was starting to blank out.

 _ **You**_ _…I want_ _ **you**_ _…_ This time Chief was the one to charge in. _Your_ _ **smell**_ _._ She stood still as he grabbed her by the head again, and slammed her into the wall before dragged her along it at a full gallop. _Your_ _ **taste**_ _._ The Grimm gave a howl as Mimi sunk her sharp teeth into the flesh of his hand. He tried to throw her, but her grip was already cemented, and she ripped Chief's hand from his arm, and took it with her as she flew across the cavern. Chief looked at the stub of his wrist in shock before turning his attention back to Mimi who just finished devouring the hand. _**So GOOD!**_ She wasted no time recovering, and went back at Chief for another bite. The centaur reared up on his hind legs to deliver a deadly kick, and it would have hit, but Mimi was seeing things with new eyes. The darkness of being underground wasn't as dark, or as threatening. Smells hung in the air as a visible cloud that could be tasted, and drunk. And, the movements of creatures that Mimi could see the endings to before they began. Her eyes flashed with a red light as her twisted semblance activated; giving her all the muscle memories of Chief's body. She could see it in her mind's eye: every attack, every stance, every minute detail of his movements were laid bare to her. She knew how to dodge Chief's attack the moment he reared up to start it. And, dodge it she did with a slide taking her just under his outstretched front legs. With his underside exposed Mimi reached up, and dug her now clawed fingers into his horse stomach, and held on tight. Chief bellowed in rage, and tried to shake her off, or grab her, but couldn't reach. She sank her teeth into his flesh, and even the boney plates that dotted his body. With the threat of death quickly becoming a reality Chief tried dropping to the ground to crush her under his weight. Mimi's mind flashed as his movements indicated what he was about to do, so she released herself from his stomach, and rolled a short distance to get out from under him. However, Chief was now low to the ground, and it was impossible for him to dodge from his current situation. Mimi leapt onto his back to get an advantageous position. When Chief tried to stand Mimi dug her claws into his right hind leg, and ripped it off the centaur's body using her leverage against the Grimm's body. The force flung her, and the leg to the ground nearby. More howling filled the cave as Chief struggled to recover while Mimi was eating the leg. But, the severed leg quickly dissolved as it was no longer attached to its host, or being actively digested. _More._ She rushed back to Chief, and went for his left arm while easily evading his counter-attacks. The cavern became filled with the sound of wailing, and tearing flesh. _**More!**_ Limb by limb, Mimi tore the centaur Grimm to pieces. Her mind was a mess as she ate more, and more of the old Grimm's flesh. Each new bite sent a wave of ecstasy through her body as her hunger, and thirst started to finally be quelled.

When she stopped Chief was only an upper torso with broken antlers. He quickly succumbed to his wounds, and dissolved into a black mist seconds later. Mimi stood alone in the cavern. The black pool at the arena's center lay still. Dormant. The sounds of people, and Grimm running through the tunnels was gone; replaced with silence that was far heavier. Her body was twitching as she was still full of pent up energy from the fight. The black blood that stained her body had almost completely enveloped her; only a small area on her face, and upper body were left partially exposed. Just as she was about to let her body collapse from her combat high there was a noise from one of the tunnels. Mimi quickly turned to the tunnel's entrance, and strained her ears to hear what it was that still remained. She was sure she got most of the Grimm that were here. _No…_ _ **not…all**_. When it drew closer the sound was definitely hooves slowly walking along the rock floor. And, as Mimi waited, another sound joined the hooves: the sound of metal scrapping against stone. Out from the tunnel emerged a solitary Grimm. The centaur starred at her with its one good eye, and twirled the spear in its hand before bringing it to a ready stance behind its back. There was no anger, or even hatred in Scarred's eye as it looked at Mimi. If anything, Scarred seemed eager. _You…_ _ **fight**_ _?_ Mimi's eyes were completely bloodshot as she starred back at the Grimm. Her breathing was irregular as she hunched over in a primal manner with her hands on the ground so that she was crouched on all fours. Scarred straightened his back, and brought the spear to a ready position. The air thickened between them as both were on edge. Scarred considered his posture while inspecting the spear he held, then he looked to Mimi with the same consideration.

" **Mimic.** " Mimi flinched, and charged Scarred. Following suit he galloped at Mimi with the spear trained on her body. With a flash of red Mimi dove to the left, and dodged the spear. She leapt at Scarred with her claws out to grab his side, but found herself batted away with a back swing from the spear. Tumbling a few feet, Mimi flipped back onto her hands, and feet as her claws scrapped along the floor to slow herself. There was a galloping noise, and Mimi instinctively jumped straight up into the air about ten feet just dodging a spear charge. She gave a spin to her jump, and brought her clawed hand down on Scarred's head. Scarred kept running which yanked Mimi out of the air. He stopped just short of the wall, and ducked which sent Mimi flying into it. Leaving no time to recover she pushed herself off the wall into a dive just as Scarred thrust his spear at her. The spear grazed her as she evaded the brunt of the attack. Again, Mimi tumbled, and landed on all fours. She howled at Scarred in a voice that was no longer her own. The Grimm mooed back before going in for another charge. Instead of dodging Mimi made a beeline straight for Scarred's neck jumping straight at him. Scarred trained his spear at her forehead, and thrust with all his might when she jumped. Just when the spear was about the make contact with Mimi's forehead a white, bone mask emerged from the black tarry blood that covered the upper half of her face. The spear hit the mask, and deflected off it which gave Mimi an opening. Her right hand shot towards, and clasped Scarred's throat. With her free hand she grabbed the back of Scarred's bull skull head, and pulled. There was a yelp that was quickly silenced followed by the sound of the spear hitting the ground, and Scarred's body collapsing to the ground. She starred back into Scarred's eye as she held his head in her hand. Slowly, it dissolved away with the rest of his body leaving Mimi, once again, alone in the arena. Her head was spinning. There were no longer sweet smells here. Her legs started to move on their own as more boney protrusions began surfacing from her skin, and the black tarry blood completely enveloped her. _Need…_ _ **More**_ _…_

Eventually, she found her way out of the tunnels, and into the crisp, cool night time air. There was a light breeze that softly ruffled her hair. The moon drew her gaze skyward as it shown bright alongside the stars with not a single cloud in the sky. There were tracks in the sand left by the fleeing people, and some hoof prints by centaurs that escaped. _**Food…Food…**_ Her legs continued to draw her forward, and followed the hoof prints. Every fiber of her being was in conflict on what to do. All she knew was that her body was hungry, and it was time to feed.

* * *

Volume 1 End.

Volume 2 begins March 9th with Chapter 15: "I Think, but I Am Not"


	15. I Think, but I Am Not

The deserts of Vacuo had many smells, and tastes to them with varying degrees of extremes. Some areas are a fountain of cool despair that quenches any thirst, and others are so devoid of anything the Grimm often wondered why it was there. While most areas of Remnant have idle 'despair' that accumulates as time goes on Vacuo is a rare exception as the desert heat seems to almost evaporate the lingering pools of negative emotions like it would normal water. _..._ _ **Trail**_ _…_ Then again, what better place to hide from an angry Grimm than to go to the one place even it hates going to. Normally this would be a smart thing to do, but when a Grimm tries to hide there they quickly find that if they don't leave the scorched zone for regular hunting raids they will succumb to their hunger, and die. And, when a Grimm goes out hunting in that kind of environment it leaves behind a trail of lingering negative emotions that act as a beacon in the otherwise emotionless sandy wastes. No Vacuo Grimm has lived long enough to pass on the wisdom to avoid such places. The mimic Grimm saw to that personally with its insatiable appetite for the centaurs.

As it gorged on its latest meal of centaur the mimic felt a twinge in the back of its head. _…_ _ **Shade**_ _..._ _ **Shade?**_ _..._ A Grimm doesn't need shade as they aren't affected normally by the weather; even the beating sun of Vacuo's desert. There was no reason to seek out shade. So, why did it want shade? The mimic shook its head, and continued its meal while dismissing the thought as not important. But, there was a small oasis nearby with a rather large tree that had a nice, shady spot under it. Every time the mimic glanced over to the spot that twinge thought came back. Perhaps the scorched zone was getting to them. When the last of the centaur bodies was either eaten, or dissolved away, the mimic resumed its march through the desert to continue the hunt. It paused, however, on a dune that overlooked the oasis, and the shady tree. It found its gaze drawn to the shade, and felt something deep inside it long to go there. Something longed to lay under the tree with its feet just touching the pool of water as the light breeze that traveled the air rustled through its hair. _…_ _ **Shade**_ _…_ Why did it want the shade? It slowly moved towards the tree no fully aware of what it was doing. _…_ _ **Shade**_ _._ It stopped just before it touched the shade. The Grimm blinked, and wondered what it was doing; this wasn't hunting for food. A clawed hand reach out into the shade as if to grasp it. It felt nothing. Why did it expect to feel something? _**Shade?**_ Wasn't the shade supposed to be a relief from something? A relief from the sun's heat? _**Heat?**_ What was heat, and why did it know what that was when it couldn't feel it? The outstretched hand returned, and rubbed the mimic's head as it tried to throw those thoughts away. This wasn't helping it survive. Promptly, the Grimm turned away from the tree, and forced itself to leave, and continue hunting.

* * *

Many days passed since then… _ **Days**_ _._ Another word, another thing, that the mimic somehow knew, but at the same time didn't. It knew that a day was when the giant light in the sky went from one side of the sky to the other to make way for the dark. The giant light was called the sun. Why was 'sun' important? Why were any of these meanings important? None of them directly helped when hunting centaurs. Their want for 'shade' also didn't seem to go away as their mind wanted them to get out of the heat. _**Heat**_ _..._ _ **Bad?**_ Even though the Grimm couldn't feel this 'heat' it had a gut feeling that it was inherently dangerous, and needed to find shade after long treks through the desert. _**This stupid.**_ What was stupid? The heat? The shade? What did 'stupid' even mean? The mimic grabbed its head with both hands, and started head-butting the ground in an attempt to shake these weird thoughts from its mind. It stopped when it heard a sizzling sound next to it, and saw that the centaur it was eating had sat for too long, and was dissolving. _**Great**_ _..._ Was that sarcasm? Giving a heavy sigh the mimic stood up, and stretched. This was becoming troublesome.

* * *

 _ **More eat, more words.**_ Weeks have passed, and the mimic was changing. Even though it didn't need it, the mimic would 'rest' in the shade when it found some after a meal. This was one such occasion as it had just finished eating two centaur Grimm, and was at an oasis resting against a tree 'enjoying' the breeze. _**Shade feel nice?**_ The Grimm looked out over the pool of water. The sun was reflecting off it giving a sparkling effect, and the wind was picking up causing waves to softly crash against the mimic's feet. There was a calm that the mimic intimately knew, and it was frustrated that it couldn't remember from where this intimacy came from, or why it could only barely feel it, now. Idly, it started twirling its long hair around its index finger. _**Human's fault? Faunus?**_ The mimic found itself more, and more wondering about its odd body shape as time went on. No other Grimm resembled humanity quite like the mimic did on a physical scale. Its body was humanoid with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head with long hair. There were definitely non-human features; clawed fingers, bone plates scattered across its body, and a boney 'mask' that covered the upper half of the Grimm's face. But, it was still, at its base, humanoid. The power to copy other creature's muscle memories could have taken these feelings from a human it had copied. _**But…never copy human.**_ That was another thing the mimic was confused on; how it felt about humans, and Faunus. It felt compulsion to go after them as a food source, but didn't because that was wrong. Why was it wrong?

* * *

The mimic found itself on a dune overlooking something that made the twinge in the back of its mind squirm; a destroyed village. There was no fire, or smoke so it wasn't recent, and there wasn't any movement from what the Grimm could see. Negative emotions flowed around the city like a river; they obviously weren't expecting it. As the mimic approached what was left of the gates the twinge grew restless. They found their legs moving without their direction. _**I know this?**_ The main street of the city was littered with building debris, and mounds of sand. Brushing some sand away revealed the mounds the be the corpses of the village's former inhabitants. _**Guilt?...No. Sadness.**_ More things the mimic understood, but couldn't feel. Why was it supposed to be sad? Its legs continued to force the Grimm forward through the village streets. For a brief moment it stopped in one of the entrances to what looked like the market. There were toppled stalls, and splintered wood everywhere. Looking to its right there was a sandstone shop with a rocking chair out front covered by a torn awning. The twinge was sad. There had to be something; some reason for this twinge in their mind, and the mimic was tired of not knowing. Clearing its mind, the mimic started to run while letting the twinge guide its legs. Perhaps wherever their legs took them they would find answers. Building, after building made the twinge sad as the mimic ran through the streets. Rounding a corner, they found themselves halted in their tracks. Ahead, at the end of the block, was a house that looked intact, and whose door was hanging open. To the mimic's surprise their legs didn't want to move. _**There.**_ Forcing the twinge to take a back seat, the Grimm pushed on to the house. The windows were just holes in the walls with curtains that lay eerily still. When they pushed the door further open it fell off its already broken hinges, and plopped onto the sand. It was noon, and the house had plenty of windows to allow natural light to weave through it, but it still seemed…off. There was a loneliness that permeated the air, and flavored the despair that clung to the house. Slowly, the mimic entered the silent home. Everything was still as the wind had died. The mimic grabbed the back of its head as the twinge cried out in despair. _**Why?**_ Looking around didn't reveal an obvious answer. _**WHY!?**_ They clasped both hands to their head as their mind was filled with concepts, and emotions that once were, but that the Grimm couldn't feel. They cried out with a wail as they tried to regain control over their own thoughts. As they flailed about in the main hallway something glinted in the sun which caused the mimic to freeze. Their hands slowly dropped to their sides as they shuffled towards the glinting object. It was a wooden panel with edges that held an image in place. _**Picture frame…photogra-**_ Their thoughts went silent as they gazed at the photo in the frame. It was of a happy, human family; a father, a mother, and a daughter. Gently, the mimic placed a clawed hand on the picture, and ran their fingers over each figure. The father didn't show his age, and was well built. The mother looked overjoyed, and had a kindness in her eyes. And, the daughter whose hair just touched their shoulders had a smile that held such enthusiasm, such a lust for life. The Grimm fell to their knees as they held the picture, and shut their eyes trying to block out the world. Tears, which not even the mimic knew it was capable of producing, started to flow down its mask, and face to softly fall on the photograph. It opened its mouth to speak, but words were not allowed for the creatures of Grimm. They were denied to her, now. And, with shaking breaths, and a tear soaked face, Mimi opened her eyes.


	16. Positive Thinking?

Mimi rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she tried to compose herself. Endlessly crying over a photograph wouldn't solve anything, or bring back all the time she'd lost. _I'm…home._ She looked around at the empty house. Time had been rather kind as it looked like all that was 'wrong' with it was sand piling up in rooms from being blown in with the wind. _No. This_ _ **was**_ _my home. But, now…_ Mimi held up a clawed hand to the light that shown through a nearby window silhouetting it in the destruction of the outside street. _Those days are long gone._ The hand clenched into a fist as anger threatened to sweep her away. Now with clear thoughts, Mimi found herself able to perfectly recall how long she'd been wandering Vacuo. How her mind longed to be swept back into the dulled state it had been in for the past year. _No._ Mimi affirmed to herself, and softly slapped her cheeks. _Those kind of thoughts won't do any good. I need to think clearly, and calmly now._ She once again looked at the photograph, and decided to take it with her as a reminder during whatever dark days laid ahead. But, that brought up something that, over the past year of wandering, she'd neglected which was now dawning on her. Mimi was completely naked. _I should probably be more embarrassed, and panicky than not at all. But…_ There was a mirror in her old room that she went up to, and inspected her 'new' body. _I guess this is more than just a physical change._ Indeed, now that she was out of her dulled state Mimi actually felt quite calm. While there were flashes of anger when she saw the photo it was quickly suppressed. She pinched her skin, and pulled. The pitch black substance that had once coated her skin seemed to have actually become her skin. Mimi looked at her arm. There was a white, bone spike that jutted out behind her from her elbow. Mimi grabbed it, gave it a tug, and felt her whole forearm get pulled. Finally, she put the photo on a nightstand, grabbed the bone mask on her face, and gently tried to take it off. She knew it wouldn't budge, but she had to try anyway. Her hands fell to her sides as she starred into her softly glowing, red eyes. There were no pupils even though she could still look around like normal. Light still affected her vision, she couldn't look at the sun, but Mimi found her vision had actually improved. Everything looked sharper, and dark areas didn't appear as dark. Yet, when she starred at her reflection something didn't feel quite right. Her index finger idly twirled itself in her hair which was down to her lower back. She shrugged to her mirror self, and picked up the photo. _I guess it's not all bad._ Walking into her parent's room, Mimi dug though the drawers, and retrieved one of her father's hunting knives. It didn't feel right to carry, but she had a use for it, later.

Mimi walked down the street that led to Solace's market square at a leisure stroll. _My emotions are definitely gone._ She looked at a corpse half sticking out of the sand mound that covered it. _Or, at the very least heavily dulled._ There was still sadness in her heart as she went through her old village, but it wasn't as strong as when it drove the mimic Grimm home. _Perhaps my emotions are dulled because I'm 'awake' which takes mental control, and so I'm limited on what I feel._ She mulled over those thoughts in her head as she let her memory of the town lead her through the market to the shop she wanted. There was a massive hole in the roof, and much of the merchandise was scattered, destroyed, or both across the floor, but Merry's Leatherworking still stood. Mimi always thought it wasn't a good name since Merry did more tailor jobs, than leatherworking, but she couldn't say anything to Merry's cheerful face whenever she saw her. _Guess I never will._ The armor racks, what little there was, all seemed to still be there. _Atlas probably has better equipment._ Her mind wandered to the day she watched her mother die. The armor, and weapons the three men wore was on a whole different tier compared to Vacuo's typical leather, or light plate designs. She gave a sigh as the thought of how much more advanced they were compared to them was disheartening. Mimi eventually found some clothes that would fit her, and weren't torn to shreds. However, when she put them on Mimi started to feel rather itchy. _What?_ Scratching only made it worse, and it eventually turned into Mimi ripping the clothes off her body, and rolling on the ground to scratch every part of her body. Once she regained her composure, Mimi laid on the ground starring at the sky through the hole in the roof. _Well…This is awkward._ Clothes were a no go, apparently. Sitting up, Mimi scratched her head as she thought about what to do about her body. There was no way people would feel safe around her looking like this. Were there even any people left? Was there even a war going on, or had Atlas, and Mistral already won? _There's only one way to find out._ Mimi sifted through the clothes until she found a decently oversized cloak that would cover her entire body. Putting it over her shoulders only made the shoulders itch, while the rest of her body felt fine. _Okay, that's one thing down. But, I'm still, technically, naked._ Normal clothes weren't an option, and armor was probably the same story. Her foot started tapping, and she folded her arms trying to think what to do. Mimi's eyes wandered to the leather racks, and focused on a leather waist cape that would go down to just above back of her knees. It reminded her of the one she used to wear. Suddenly, Mimi felt her semblance swell up insider her. The feeling was both familiar, and alien as, while it felt like her normal semblance, there was something unknown that tainted it. Her eyes flashed bright red for a second, before the feeling faded. Mimi blinked, not entirely sure what just happened. _What, did I copy the muscle memory of a cape?_ As she started to walk over to the rack something brushed against the thighs. Mimi froze, and looked down as she knew the feeling, but couldn't believe it. There was a pitch black waist cape around her waist. It even had a belt that 'held' it in place decorated with boney plates, and a belt buckle that looked like a simple rendition of her mask without the eyeholes. _No way._ She ran her hand along the cape, and it flowed like one would expect leather to. Yet, the material that made it was the same that made up her new body. She tried to separate the cape from her body by pulling on the belt, but found the belt was fused to her skin. _It's…literally a part of me._ An idea quickly wormed its way into Mimi's brain, and she rushed over to some more clothes. Focusing on her semblance, and focusing on an article of clothing caused the semblance to activate, and for a version of it to 'appear' on her body. When Mimi left the shop she 'wore' a mimiced variant of: high leather boots, a waist cape, a corset, and various straps that were armored by bone plates. _This certainly is something._ There was also a belt pouch that Mimi slide the photograph into, and a sheath for the knife.

As she made her leave, Mimi stopped on a dune that overlooked the ruins of Solace. Once, she called it home, but now it was a hollow shell of a peaceful time long gone. With a heavy sigh, she took out the knife, and grabbed her long hair in her free hand. The knife was still surprisingly sharp, and cut through her hair with relative ease. Her hair just draped onto her shoulders. As a strong gust of wind swept by Mimi let go of the cut hair, and watched it sail away with the breeze. This new world was a mystery, and Solace didn't have answers for the questions Mimi had. She draped the cloak over herself, secured the front, and pulled the hood up. While her knowledge of exact geography of the area was spotty there was one thing she always remembered her father telling her. _Out of all the villages on our caravan's route Karsk is the easiest to remember. Head directly east, and don't stop until you feel the shade from the canopy._


	17. The Hunt Begins

"I see it! We'll be at the gates just in time for lunch." A sigh of relief washed over the caravan. Atlas, and Mistral raiding parties had become the norm for dust runners as of late, so getting to a destination with everyone still intact was a blessing beyond measure.

"Ah, about time we had some comfort food. What about you, Mimi? After your time in the desert I'd be up to eat a horse hooves, and all," the cheery second asked their passenger.

The cloaked figure held up a clipboard with a piece of paper on it, " _I'd like a nice bed, first._ " She wore leather gloves whenever she reached outside of the cloak, but tried to keep them off as much as possible to control the itching sensation.

"To think I offered you the finest bedroll to sleep on last night, and you'd be thinking of a different bed," the second playfully scoffed. As Mimi was traveling to Karsk she ran into a dust runner caravan that happened to also be on their way to Karsk. Due to her inability to talk the runners offered to give Mimi a clipboard with a few sheets of paper, and a pencil as a way to communicate. There was a certain etiquette when meeting dust runners out in the open deserts that had to be followed if you wanted anything other than a spear shoved in your face. Since runners held mutual respect for each other for braving Vacuo's dangers, a set of code phrases, and gestures were established to prevent bandits from impersonating as runners as a means to lower a caravan's guard. Luckily, Mimi's father drilled the codes into her head before he even allowed her to step foot onto the family's skimmers. Getting the caravan to trust her was easy after that. They even bought the story about her needing to wear the cloak at all times as she was ashamed of her skin which was 'burned from a Mistral attack that destroyed her caravan'. _'The best lies always have truth in them' is how the saying goes, I think._ She'd traveled with them for only a day, but already Mimi felt a tugging in her heart for the comradery she felt traveling on her family's caravan. But, once they were inside the village, Mimi thanked the runners for the lift, and parted ways with them to attend to her own business. The best place to pick up information was a tavern. It was where she'd heard of Scarred's initial rampage, so why not try again, and listen for some rumors. Karsk's streets weren't as bustling as Mimi remembered, and she tasted the apprehension, and fear that hung in the air. _Now that I think about it…Where are all the guards?_ Mimi definitely remembered more guards patrolling the streets last time she was here. Was Sandra, and the First Company still around? She didn't see any guards wearing the wolf crest they were known for on her walk to the tavern. Pushing through the swinging doors of the tavern revealed it was packed with patrons. _They might've shipped her, and the rest off to war._ There was an open seat by the window that Mimi promptly claimed before more people shuffled in. The Great War, at least that's what some of the patrons were calling it, was currently spanning across all four kingdoms of Remnant.

"The damned cowards don't even *hic* go for our armies!" There was an overly loud bunch near her that was having more than their share of the alcohol. "What do they do instead? Go after *hic* the runners."

"But *hic* But, don't they got…like…hu-*hic*-ge metal boxes with…um…what's the word?"

"Guns?"

"Yeah…guns…*hic*"

"They're afraid! *hic* Even with all their fancy toys those Atlas toffs won't even meat us in the *hic* field." _Soldiers maybe? Might have just gotten back from a battle. Though…_ She looked them up, and down, _Judging by their clothes they're probably just annoyed citizens._ A waitress with bags under her eyes came over, and apologized for the ruckus.

Mimi shook her head, " _I don't mind. Could I have a glass of water, please?_ " The waitress gave a nod, and shortly returned with a glass of water. As Mimi went for it a realization slammed into her which caused her to face palm.

"Don't worry about paying for a simple glass of water, dear" the waitress said with a weary smile as if reading Mimi's mind.

" _Are you sure?_ " _I have no money, what am I doing?_

The waitress nodded, "Water's always free to those who're lost." Mimi tilted her head at this. "You come into a tavern, sit through some drunk fools babbling on, but still keep your manners while ordering. You're someone who doesn't know where they're going, and is hoping the grapevine of others will help you out. Am I wrong?" Although she was tired, the waitress managed to put on a gentle expression.

Mimi gave a sigh, " _Nailed it on the head._ "

"Well, I plan on letting them stick around for probably another ten minutes before I kick them out myself." She gives a heavy sigh, and runs a hand through her hair. "Honestly, having someone quiet is a nice change." Quickly realizing what she just said she started stammering, "That's not…I didn't mean…"

For the first time since she could remember Mimi giggled, " _It's fine, I understand the stress._ "

The waitress merely let out an even bigger sigh, "I need a vacation," and she went back to the bar. Mimi looked at the glass of water in front of her. Officially, she didn't need to eat, or drink normal food, and drinks as she had been able to sustain herself off the flesh of other Grimm. Since she spent an entire year lowering the local Grimm population Mimi found she was still 'full' with no overt desire to go hunting. _Although…_ Gulping down the water reaffirmed; water did nothing. _Not even a cool sensation going down my throat anymore._ Looking at the drunkards, and waiting for their babble wasn't going to do anything. Getting up from the table, Mimi headed for the door as her patience was already worn thin, and she was antsy to move. As she passed by, one of the drunks stuck his arm out blocking her path.

"Woah, little lady. *hic* Haven't seen you 'round here before." The man licked his hand, and attempted to slick back his hair. "Care to help give my spear a shining?" Mimi froze not because she was afraid, but because she was dumbstruck that he actually tried to use that line seriously. The waitress called out at the man from behind the bar. "Aw come *hic* on. I ain't gonna hurt the girl." He stood up, and hocked his arm around Mimi's shoulder. "What do you sa-…" While Mimi usually kept the hood of her cloak far over her face to conceal it, the man had shoved his face into the hood's opening to get a look at her. He starred into her solid red eyes with a look of confusion. _CRAP!_ An instinct in the back of her mind was telling her to kill him for getting to close, and friendly. Her hand trembled as she wrestled control to not gut the man where he stood. _Am I really gonna get found out because of some drunk bas-_ "Huh." _Huh?_ The man looked at her, let her go, and looked at the drink in his hand. Slowly, he put the drink down on the table, "I think I need to *hic* stop."

"You're damn right you do. Now, OUT!" The waitress shooed the drunkards onto the street with a broom. Once she made sure they were walking away she turned to Mimi. "I'm terribly sorry about that." Mimi tried to wave it off. Frankly, she was just satisfied that the urge to kill was no longer nagging at her. _Gonna have to watch out for that when around people._ "Please, if there's anything I can do. Normally they're not this bad, but when Sandra, and her boys aren't around they get rowdier." This perked Mimi's curiosity.

" _You know Sandra?_ "

The waitress looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Of course I do. Whenever they get the chance they visit the village. They're likely to be coming around in a couple of days. Why?"

" _I need to speak with her about something important._ " If she could just talk to Sandra then she might be able to figure out where the men who killed her family are. It was a long shot, but it was also the only possible lead she has.

"If that's the case then you can stay here until they come in." Her face turned sullen, "Business has…declined…as the war's dragged on." Mimi accepted the gracious gift, and mentally berated herself. She was, honestly, grateful for the free room, but she was disgusted with herself as the waitress' despair at her lack of business, and her sadness at the loss of life was… **delicious**.


	18. Wolves of Karsk

It took three days of waiting, but word quickly reached the tavern Mimi was staying at that 'the wolves were back' as the man had put it. _They did have a wolf logo_. Her room had a window that faced the street, and she watched as a column of forty soldiers was led through the streets to the tavern's front door. Giving a stretch, Mimi fixed her cloak, gathered her things, and headed downstairs to the bar. To say the floor was packed would be an understatement. Tables meant for four were holding eight. Now that she could get a closer look at them many of them looked heavily battered with some soldiers missing entire sections of their armor to what looked like scorch marks. Their bodies looked no better; one pour man was missing an arm. _Guess I'll have lunch before things get hectic._ She hated having to do it, especially to these soldiers, but the negative emotions that now hung in the tavern were to delicious to pass up, and her stomach was growling. Yet, even with all the sadness, and despair Mimi tasted a hint of hope as the soldiers started cracking jokes, or getting lost in telling stories to their fellows. Hope wasn't as filling as despair, but it was surprisingly close. A few of them looked curiously as Mimi wove her way through the crowd to the bar, but didn't say anything as they fully intended on enjoying what little time they had.

"Ah, Mimi!" the waitress called out over the crowd as she saw the cloaked figure approaching. She was currently talking with Sandra, "This is the one who said she needed to talk to you."

"Thanks, Lily. So," Sandra turned, and looked Mimi up, and down, "Awfully hot to be wearing that indoors don't you think?"

" _I'd rather not ruin the mood with my looks._ " Mimi motioned to the soldiers enjoying themselves.

"You think we haven't seen worse from the war?" Sandra took a swig of alcohol, and gestured for Mimi take her seat as she got up to lean against the bar counter. She gave a sigh, "Sorry, didn't mean for that to sound worse than I meant. How's the caravan doing?"

Mimi was taken aback for a second, " _You remember me?_ "

Sandra gave a grin, "I remember the names, and faces of every runner that's ever passed through Karsk when I was still stationed here." A coarse laugh escaped her lips, "Bah, 'stationed'. I'm turning into a proper soldier, aren't I? Like those Atlas, and Mistral pricks." Mimi found Sandra's humor rather refreshing. "But, yeah, how's everyone doing thes-" She cut herself off as she saw Mimi's hooded head slump, and the gloved hand that was visible tense up. "I see." She gave a heavy sigh, and offered Mimi her drink. "Being a runner's already a tough job to fulfill." Mimi took the drink, and gave it a taste. _Nothing, figures I can't get drunk of this_. "'specially now with those bastards raiding any runners they can find."

Mimi handed Sandra her drink back, and asked, " _Is there a particular group you know of that's doing the raiding?_ "

"Nah. It's not so much a group as it is a captain that's been on the rise through the Atlas ranks who's been the one orchestrating all the raids." She took another swig, "Or, so our intelligence reports. He's called the 'Desert Fox' by a few of the other commanders I've talked to that've run into him."

" _Is he bald, look in his twenties, and completely full of himself?_ " Mimi frantically scribbled onto the clip board so fast the Sandra jumped, and took a second to refocus on the words.

She raised an eyebrow, "Yeah…I'm guessing he's why Lily said you wanted to talk to me?" Mimi took a deep breath, and started writing. She wrote about how her caravan was slaughtered by Fox, and his comrades. Deciding against revealing how she truly survived, Mimi instead said she managed to crawl away, and another caravan found her. Sandra intently read Mimi's story with a concerned, yet serious, expression. When she finished she downed the rest of her drink, and handed the clip board back to Mimi. The two were in silence for a few minutes as Sandra collected her thoughts. "While I don't know anything about a Shiro, or Frost, this Fox definitely sounds like the Desert Fox." Her body turned towards Mimi, "So, while I'm pretty sure I already know what you're going to ask me, I don't want to assume. What do you want to ask me?"

With no hesitation Mimi wrote, " _I want to travel with the First Company to eventually hunt down Fox._ " Sandra slowly nodded as she finished reading, and brought her gaze back to Mimi.

"If I say 'no' you're just going to go hunting him on your own, aren't you?" Mimi nodded. "Geeze." Obviously at a loss, Sandra ran her fingers through her brown hair.

" _I've the means to handle myself out there, but if we worked with each other this will probably be easier._ "

Sandra raised an eyebrow at this, "Look no offence, Mimi, but the people under my command are all, at the very least, trained militia fighters. While you may be a former dust runner unless you've spent the past four years doing nothing but going through intense training I can't wholeheartedly agree to take you with us. We're fighting whenever, and where ever we're needed as orders come in. It's hell." _Hell?_ Mimi's fist clenched as flashes of her time at the farm assaulted her memory. _You don't know the_ _ **meaning**_ _of that word_. "I know you're upset, bu-" A loud explosion interrupted her, and the tavern shook. All the soldiers froze, and fell silent while looking at the door. The silence was short lived as once they heard cries of horror from the outside streets they all gathered up their gear, and began running out of the tavern. Lily looked terrified as Sandra cursed under her breath. More explosions rang out, and the ground shook as it was being torn asunder. "Lily, help get the citizens who're on the street indoors. Mimi yo-…Mimi?" The cloaked figure had left her seat without a sound, and in her place was the clip board on the counter with a note.

" _See you on the front._ " _That was way too cheesy. I might need to work on lines to use, later._ Mimi ran through the streets pushing through the crowds of panicked people as she made her way to the north gate. Smoke was rising in a distant part of town, and the familiar high pitched screaming ripped through the air, before drowning themselves out in explosions. What militia remained was doing everything they could to get people to safety, while the soldiers of First Company gathered at the gate.

"Wait! STOP!" one of the soldiers cried out as Mimi made her way passed them, and out the north gates.

"Mimi!" That cry got Mimi to stop, and turn back. Sandra raced up the street after her with a spear in hand, and flanked by two other soldiers. "I know you want revenge, but throwing your life away isn't the answer!" _Throwing my life away?_ Memories of the attack on her caravan, the time spent in the farm, and the year she spent hunting the centaurs flashed before her. _My life's already swept away with the sand._ The power inside her bubbled up at the growing anticipation of the battle to come, and of the dark memories of the past four years. From under her hood, Mimi's eyes flashed red. All the years of combat experience with a spear Sandra had obtained was now hers. A black smoke started pouring out of her right hand. _Not just clothes, eh?_ With a single, swift motion Mimi 'grabbed' the black smoke around her hand, and swept it to the side. Sandra, and many others of the First Company watched in amazement as the black smoke dissipated to reveal a spear. The shaft was a solid black, and the spear head was a white bone with a demonic design, and red veins running along its surface. Mimi turned back towards the dunes, and saw the Atlas, and Mistral troops amassed atop them. It looked like just a small group, but they had artillery that was raining destruction down on Karsk. _Oh well. Time to see what this new body can really do._


	19. Something Wicked

"Left. Twelve degrees." The spotter watched as his crew's rounds, now corrected, hit their target dead on. He turned lowered his binoculars to take in the full scope of their assault on the village of Karsk. Turning to his superior at the bottom of the dune the spotter gave a shout, "Militia HQ destroyed, commander."

"Excellent," the commander was overseeing the reserve troops he was keeping behind the dune in case the Vacuo soldiers he knew were in town tried anything. "Continue shelling the town until we draw out those pesky wolves."

"Sir!" the spotter gave a salute, and went back to directing his crew. While Atlas, and Mistral held the advantage in terms of technology Vacuo had home advantage. The Wolves were a battalion well known to the forces stationed in Vacuo as they had been disrupting their supplies for over a year. But, now he had them cornered, and dead to rights. The reserve were looking antsy. Although the commander wanted to keep his full number of troops hidden he did feel for his troops. Taking out the Wolves didn't feel right if all it takes is a simple artillery bombardment. "S-Sir! You need to see this." The spotter called out to him again, but sounded confused.

"What is it?" He hoped they were finally willing to make a move. "Is it the Wolves?"

"W-Well…Kind of?"

"Kind of?" The commander looked flabbergasted at the spotter. "There is no 'kind of' here. Are they, or aren't they coming out?"

"Yes, the Wolves are amassing at the gates," the commander's face lit up, "But, there's also them."

"Them?" He took the binoculars that were being offered to him, and looked towards the town. He saw the Wolves at the gates, and it looked like they were looking at something. Following their gaze led to a lone figure advancing on their position with an odd looking spear. They were sending a single person? "Is that what they think of us?" The commander crushed the binoculars in his hand with a satisfying crunch that caused the spotter to flinch. "Attention!" The artillery fire stopped, and everyone stood. "They have the audacity to insult us? US? Reserve forward!" All the troops began to take positions forming a wall of bodies in front of the artillery batteries. With a new pair of binoculars he saw the leader of the Wolves on horseback look uneasy as his men took their positions. But…

"The lone contact is still advancing!" He grit his teeth, threw his binoculars to the spotter that gave them to him, and gave a shout.

"If that's how they want to do this, fine. All batteries take aim on the lone combatant! We'll show these fools what happens when you insult the Atlas-Mistral Alliance!" There were some murmurs, but the crews all adjusted to meet their new target. The cloaked figure was walking which made calculations rather simple. "On my mark." He held up his hand, and starred at the lone figure with the cloak. They didn't stop. "FIRE!" All nine artillery guns roared to life sending their rounds ripping through the air.

* * *

Mimi watched the shells fly through the air. When they started coming back down they began screaming. _This…_ This was the same screaming that she'd heard when her family's caravan was attacked. _So, this is how they did it._ She stopped moving, and braced her body. When the screaming reached its peak Mimi leapt into the air riding the shock-wave of the explosions to take her even higher. A distinct despair began accumulating over the troops on the dunes as Mimi landed safely. _Damn. My cloak's getting torn._ It was minor, but holes were ripped into the cloak, and the bottom was frilled from the blast. _Well there's no use keeping dead men waiting._ That was rather dark, and Mimi made a note to keep those kind of thoughts down. Using her new strength, Mimi broke into a full sprint at the enemy line faster than any horse she knew of. The despair above the soldiers began to grow at her sudden burst of insane speed, and who she assumed was their commander was starring at her with a furious look on his face. The first line of troops took aim with their rifles. Remembering these Mimi began running in a serpentine pattern. Moving at such a high speed, and the fear that was beginning to grip their hearts caused the soldiers to be sloppy with their shots. She was about to reach their lines when the despair that hung over them hit Mimi's nostrils. _**Ooooh~ yeaaah~**_ This was a new despair that she'd never tasted before, and it was sending her into a frenzy. The despair of someone desperately clinging to a cause to save them, only to realize their lives were forfeit. There were also fuzzy outlines appearing around the soldiers that Mimi instinctually knew showed their aura's strength. The normal soldiers had the weakest of the auras, but the commander's… _**That looks delicious!**_ Some of the soldier's rifles had what looked like knives attached to them, and they formed a wall in front of her. She couldn't help but smile at the futility. Grinding to a halt just in front of the three soldiers, Mimi spun the spear around her back before twirling it into a wide sweeping strike. Sandra used this move quite a bit, it seemed, but lacked to speed to make it truly terrifying. Within a second Mimi had come to a complete stop, and used her spear's twisted head to rip through their auras, and cleave the heads from the three soldiers. Fear exploded amongst the ranks as doing this had blown the cloak open to reveal her body. More shots rang out, but Mimi was already too close for it to save them.

"Open fire! Open fire!" Their cries only fueled Mimi further as her body took in the growing despair in the air, and was seeming to convert it directly into fighting capability. Her speed was increasing, as was her strength. Five soldiers gave a desperate cry, and tried charging her with those knive-guns. A single sweep killed four, Mimi dodged the fifths charge, and grabbed the man by the throat. _**Ahaha~ There it is! True despair.**_ She crushed his windpipe, and tossed the lifeless body to the side. "Kill it! Kill it!" Some of the shots managed to hit true, but they didn't pierce her skin. The despair in the air was so thick, and concentrated that normal rifle fire could no longer hurt her as she regenerated faster that the bullets could pierce her skin, essentially neutralizing them as a threat. This only cause further fear to grip the soldiers. Mimi started to advance again, but stopped when she felt a trembling in the ground. When she turned around a troop of horses rushed passed her crashing into the enemy's line. The Wolves finally caught up. Sandra was leading from the front, and her spear had impaled two unlucky enemies. _**San…**_ _dra…_ Seeing Sandra, someone who'd first truly acknowledged her as a runner, brought Mimi out of her frenzy. _Shit._ Mimi closed her cloak, and grit her teeth. _Gotta stay calm. You are not a monster._ She turned her attention up the dune to the commander. _I am not a monster._ Her grip around her spear tightened as she advanced with the Wolves.

"Well, well, who knew you had this much bite." Sandra rode up next to Mimi with a weary smile. She dismounted, and gave the reins to one of her men. The two pushed up the dune with a group of foot troops while the rest of the cavalry continued to harass the enemy lines so that the rest of the battalion could catch up. Mimi did her best to keep the cloak closed while also contributing to the push. "Hey," Sandra called glancing at the bullet holes in Mimi's cloak, "You alright?" Mimi gave a nod, and dispatched another soldier.

"Aim!" Mimi heard the commander's voice, but was confused as to what he was doing. She turned her attention to him, and was stunned. The commander was pointing one of the artillery guns directly at them. _But, he still has troops here!_ Sandra hadn't noticed yet as she was engaging with an Atlas soldier who had drawn a sword. Mimi saw the gun take aim at Sandra who was still pinned in place from her duel. As she dispatched the Atlas soldier she looked up at the yelling commander, and her eyes went wide. "FIRE!" _Not again!_ The gun fired. With blinding speed Mimi dissolved the spear, leapt to Sandra's side, and threw her to the ground a few feet away. The explosion shook the battlefield causing a momentary pause in the fighting. Sandra sat up, and looked at the still smoking crater with despair, and anger taking hold. Another once innocent life taken by this damned war. Shakily, Sandra rose to her feet as the blast had disoriented her. She stopped when she couldn't believe her eyes as when the smoke cleared from the crater Mimi still stood. But, the joy she was feeling quickly was replaced with horror as she truly saw Mimi. The blast, while not injuring her body majorly, completely destroyed the cloak leaving her Grimm body exposed. The fighting directly around Mimi ground to a halt as both sides starred at the Grimm. _I kinda wish that blast killed me._ Mimi glanced over her shoulder at Sandra. Thankfully she was still alive, but when their eyes met Mimi could feel the fear aimed at her. She sighed heavily, and refocused on the commander who was completely dumbstruck as he couldn't comprehend what he was looking at.

"Retreat!" One of the Mistral soldiers yelled out. The call rushed through the ranks as the Atlas, and Mistral forces started to run as their morale was completely broken. Some even surrendered not wanting to be killed by the Grimm that was for some reason fighting for Vacuo's side.

"N…no." The commander spoke softly before raising his voice to a scream, drawing his rapier, and charging at Mimi, "NOOO!" Mimi's eyes flashed. "All my work! Everything I've achieved! I won't let it be undone by some Gri-" His sword clashed as Mimi had raised her hand in a defensive position, and materialized a demented looking rapier. She matched the commander's stance which only made him angrier. "NO! NO! NO!" Uselessly he clashed with Mimi who perfectly deflected every blow. His form was sloppy, and she knew all his moves. Deciding enough was enough she quickly parried a blow, and disarmed the commander of his rapier. Completely devastated, the man fell to his knees as Mimi lowered the tip of her blade to his neck. A part of her wanted to take his life, and be done with it. But, he might know more about Fox. With the butt of her sword's hilt she hit the commander on the side of the head knocking him out. _Well, one problem down…_ She turned around, and found herself surrounded by the Wolves with their spears aimed at her. _One more to go._


	20. Of Monsters & Men

_They're antsy._ Mimi didn't need to taste it on the air to know how the Vacuo soldiers that surrounded her felt. It was plain to see how scared they were of her. Some, who Mimi assumed fought alongside her, and Sandra, seemed hesitant to point their spears at her, but what they saw before their eyes couldn't be ignored. _Understandable…that being said._ Mimi turned her attention to Sandra who was standing behind one of the men. _Let's try to do things peacefully._ She dematerialized the rapier which caused some of the men to flinch, but they still held their spears firm.

"Is it a Grimm?"

"Why'd it help us?"

"Should we kill it?"

"I hope it doesn't eat me." Whispering was circulating through the ranks as more soldiers came over to see what was going on. _Man, I really wish I could still talk at times like this._ Mimi looked directly into Sandra's eyes which made her gulp down a lump that had taken form in her throat. Mimi did a gesture in the air. "What's it doing?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"Can it understand us?" A hush swept the whispers away. Still looking at Sandra, Mimi repeated the gesture, but used both hands this time. That seemed to click something in her head.

"Tom," Sandra said not breaking eye contact with Mimi though her voice shook a bit, "Hand me your journal."

"Wha-"

"Steel." She regained the authority in her voice. Steel cautiously lowered his spear, only to be replaced in the circle by another soldier, and rummaged through his pack to pull out both a journal, and pencil. He offered it to Sandra who took it, and slowly walked towards Mimi. The soldiers in the direct circle parted for her with two of them not leaving Sandra's side. Mimi did her best to seem relaxed. _Don't give them a reason, and they won't attack. Right?_ Sandra stopped four feet from Mimi, and paused for a few seconds. _You're doing fine, Sandra._ Although Sandra appeared to be in control, and walking with authority, and caution the reality was quite different. Mimi could see it in the slight changes in how she normally walked, as well as the distinct flavor that was coming off of her. How Sandra's hands slightly shook around the journal; not enough to be obvious, but noticeable. She was terrified, but kept up the act of control to keep the situation as calm as possible. She offered the journal, and Mimi slowly took it. All the while everyone eyed daggers into her. Mimi waited for Sandra to gain enough composure to speak clearly. "Mimi?"

Mimi opened the journal to a blank page, and wrote, " _Yes, Sandra?_ " A look of disbelief swept over the wolves. The spears began to slowly lower as the soldiers looked to each other, and back to Sandra to see what she would do next.

"Yo-…You're…" Her words were failing her.

" _A Grimm. I think._ "

"You think?" Sandra's muscles were relaxing as a conversation was forming. _Good! Let's keep going with this._

" _I'm not truly sure what I am, anymore. But, a Grimm would not be inaccurate._ " Sandra looked Mimi over a couple times. Her mouth would open as if to speak, before she would shake her head, and close it. " _Kinda hard to wrap your head around, I know._ "

"Yeah…Yeah it's just…" Sandra paused to consider her words. "What happened to you?" Mimi gave a heavy sigh.

" _It's a long story._ "

Sandra nodded, "Alright." There was another long pause as she ran things through her head. She placed her hands on the two spears that were next to her, and forced them to lower. "First, I want wounded accounted for. Steel, get to it. Bridgette, strip the gear from the surrendered, and get them organized into a single group. Bengul, take the men back into Karsk, and…" Mimi couldn't help but smile. Sandra seemed like a good leader; she made sure Mimi wasn't a threat before turning her attention back to her men. "And, not a word of 'this' gets out to the populace. Got it?"

" _Looks like we both have stories to tell._ " When Sandra finished giving out her orders she looked back to Mimi, and read the journal. A cautious smile played on her lips.

"Suppose so." She motioned for Mimi to follow. Four other soldiers took up positions around Mimi, just in case. When they drew near the gates one of them took out a cloak, and hesitantly handed it to Mimi.

"It won't cover your whole body, but if you stay between us we can get back to Lily's without much trouble." Mimi nodded, and put on the cloak. It didn't cover below her knees, but they somehow made it work. As the group made their way through Karsk's streets Mimi was once again reminded of the power Vacuo, and Vale are facing. The wolves were working alongside what little militia forces remained to clear debris, tend to injured civilians, and keep a sense of order in the village ravaged by war. When they entered the inn they found it empty.

"Looks like Lily's still out helping." Sandra heavily sat down at an open table near the back away from any windows, and motioned for Mimi to sit across from her. "So, let's talk." Mimi took a seat, and began writing. She wrote about what happened to her caravan after they'd left Karsk. Of the ruins of Sarss, and the centaurs that infested it. Of the shells, and men that took her family, and friends from her. She wrote about Scarred, and Chris, and the farm. And, finally, of the farm's destruction, her yearlong hunt across Vacuo, and her return to Solace. Even paraphrased it took her over two hours to write everything she wanted to. She needed a few more pencils. It actually felt good, something Mimi hadn't felt in a while, to put the things she'd done, and seen down the paper. To get it all out. When she finished she flipped back to the beginning, and handed the journal to Sandra. It took her hours, till the sun started setting, to finish reading Mimi's tale as she poured over every work. She gave a sigh, "It's getting late." The setting sun shown in through the front window. Lily had returned, and was organizing things for tomorrow while respectfully ignoring the privacy of Mimi, and Sandra. "I…need time to process this." She smiled wearily at Mimi, who nodded in response. They parted with Mimi heading up to her room for the night, the soldiers standing guard outside, and Sandra taking a seat at the bar with Lily pouring her a glass of anything strong enough to punch her gut.

* * *

"I'm cutting you off." Lily took the glass from Sandra. It was her fifth drink, and the sun had set.

"Aaww, I'm a commander, you know? I need my relaxation, too."

"Relaxation, and waking up feeling like shit in the morning are two different things, Sandra." Sandra scowled to herself as Lily began washing the glass. She ran both hands through her hair, and gave a heavy sigh. Lily raised an eyebrow, "Something troubling you that much?"

"Yeah…" Sandra propped her right arm on the counter, and rested her head in her hand.

"If you don't mind me asking, but is it, by any chance, what you were discussing with Mimi in the back there?" Lily idly shined the glass with a rag as she watched Sandra rub her temples.

"Yup," Sandra looked up at Lily, "I feel like I'm in some kinda messed up fairytale right now."

"About the whole Grimm thing?" Sandra shot straight up, and starred at Lily. "Her cloak was open while she wrote. It wasn't that hard to see." She saw Sandra slump back into her stool, "No one else came in today, so don't worry too much about it."

"You aren't freaking out?"

"Why would I be? You brought her here, so I assume she's safe," Lily said in matter-of-fact tone.

"You put way to much faith in me," Sandra said shaking her head.

"No," Lily said, and put down the glass. She walked out from behind the bar, and draped her arms over Sandra's shoulders. "I don't think you put enough faith in yourself." She could feel Sandra roll her eyes. "It's true. I mean look at you; two years ago you were one of our militia's most popular leaders. Now, your commanding a battalion who admires you, and bringing the fight to the enemy."

"They follow me because I'm their commander."

"True, but even I can tell that's not the only reason." The two remained in silence as Lily let her words sink in.

Finally, Sandra gave a chuckle, "Huh, you always know what to say, Lily." She leaned her head back into Lily's.

"You know it. Now then," she stood up, and pulled Sandra off the stool, "Your shoulders are way to tense. Come, it's time for one of my relaxing massages."

Sandra gave a tired smile, but let Lily drag her around, "I need to actually get sleep tonight, Lily."

"You will, you will." Lily lead Sandra back to her personal room, "When I'm sure you're truly relaxed."


	21. A Pleasant Surprise

_Man, not needing to sleep makes nights rather dull._ Mimi was laying down on her bed starring at the ceiling. The curtains were closed so no moonlight was coming in, but it was a chance to not have to wear something. Although, for someone who could see in the dark it wasn't an issue. She sighed, and stopped scratching her shoulder. Even though her new cloak was shorter it still itched just the same. _I hope Sandra takes me._ Traveling with the Wolves was the only plan she had at the moment, and Mimi hoped that, with her display during the battle, Sandra would allow her to tag along across Vacuo. Idly, Mimi lifted a clawed hand into the air grasping at nothing. Her limbs still felt a little alien to her whenever she had downtime to truly look at herself. She turned her hand over a few times thoroughly inspecting it. Even though she had killed those soldiers with a spear the feeling of tearing through their aura, and flesh was lingering in her claws. _Anything I make is still a part of me, I guess._ Her mind wandered to the rapier the enemy commander wielded, and it conjured in her outstretched hand. _Even something like this._ Previously she could only mimic someone for a few minutes before she started feeling tired, and that was just with an opponent's muscle memories. Now, here she was hours later still able to materialize the weapon. _The muscle memories are gone, though. I guess those still go away after a time of inactivity._ While she could materialize the rapier, Mimi found she couldn't bring out the spear. _Only the most recent is available._ She let the rapier dissipate into black smoke, and allowed her arm to fall onto the bed. _I could pretend to sleep._ Mimi turned onto her side, and closed her eyes. She allowed her breathing to slow, but her consciousness wouldn't fade into sleep. Despair still lingered in the air from the attack, and ensuing battle which kept drawing her mind back. She buried her face in the pillow, and sighed heavily. _Maybe a snack before bed would help._ Sitting up, Mimi looked to the window to find a small stream of negative emotions leaking through the curtains. With her head raised, and mouth open, she began gulping at the stream. Drinking the negative emotions of others was still unnerving, but she couldn't argue with the refreshing taste. As she drank, Mimi found she was far thirstier than she originally thought. Her body wanted more. Then, it hit her. _My 'semblance'…_ She ran a hand through the stream of emotions in the air. _It runs on emotions since I don't have an aura anymore. So, the more I use it the more parched I'll get._ Finishing her drink, Mimi again tried to go to sleep. It didn't help that her enhanced senses picked up a lot during an otherwise 'quiet' night; namely whatever that racket downstairs was. It sounded like wood being quickly scrapped against sandstone. _What are they doing down there?_

* * *

The sun had risen, but Mimi decided to stay in her room for a while longer to give everyone a chance to wake up. When she opened her door there was a neatly folded robe sitting outside in the hall. It was tall enough to cover her down to her ankles, and had a hood, and sleeves so she wouldn't be as restricted. _It still itches, though._ Due to the robes bagginess it wasn't always touching her skin which helped it to not itch as much, but it was still an annoyance she'd have to live with. After dawning the robe Mimi headed downstairs as a commotion had started. _Sounds like the Wolves are enjoying breakfast._ Mimi took a sip of the emotions that hung in the air, and paused. She'd never tried drinking in a place filled with such positive emotions before. It wasn't filling at all, and it didn't have a taste. It was as if she'd never taken a drink in the first place. _So this is why they're drawn to negative emotions._

"Oi, Mimi!" Mimi found herself taken out of her thoughts as someone was calling to her. With her presence now known she felt all eyes on her. The place was filled with nothing but soldiers. Soldiers whose eyes didn't hold the same fear they once did towards her. Hesitating at this new development Mimi was taken aback by the man who walked up to her, and started leading her to a table that a few others were already sitting at, including Tom. And, just like that, everyone else went back to chatting, and whatever else they were doing. _This is…odd?_ Mimi looked at the one who led her to the table, and cocked her head to the side. "Oh, right," he said, and handed her a blank journal, and pencil, "These're for you, from Sandra."

" _Right._ " Mimi wrote still nervous. " _Not to be rude, but, why is everyone suddenly okay with me around?_ "

"Ah, that. Well, while you slept in this morning Sandra brought the lot of us up to speed on you. Well, as much as she could given how much you've been through." The man extended his hand, "Bengul." Mimi hesitantly shook his hand still not fully sure. "Also, you can take off your robe, here. We've the place to ourselves for the day, and you're among friends." … _Friends…?_ Slowly, she put down her hood.

"You've probably heard this before, but anyone who can survive the desert, and is willing to lend a hand is a friend to all of Vacuo. And, you've been doing quite your fair share of Grimm hunting from what we hear." Tom gave her a smile as he raised a glass.

"A whole year of hunting those bastard centaurs by yourself," Bengul, and a few others clanged their glasses against Tom's with hearty laughs, "And, you even had them running scarred. What I wouldn't give to have seen it with my own eyes." A sentimental tear rolled down Bengul's cheek as he imagined a Grimm actually running in fear from something.

"Not to mention how you saved Sandra's life the other day." Tom gave her an approving nod.

"Aye. For that you not only have the thanks of Vacuo, but of all the Wolves as well, Mimi." Bengul clasped his hand on her shoulder, and gave a friendly squeeze. Mimi, to say the least, was completely taken aback by everything. She thought they would've tried to push her away. To leave her, or worse kill her, the first chance they got. She'd come expecting to have to beg for them to allow her to stay. But, here they were; the Wolves of Karsk offering a drink, and laugh to her. Her body softly trembled as an old emotion, an old feeling, surfaced inside Mimi. Comradeship. It was here that Mimi learned she was still capable of crying as tears of joy began streaming down her face at this long lost feeling's return. She brushed the tears away with a shaky hand, and tried to recompose herself.

"Come on, Ben," came a shout from another table, "You've gone, and made the pour girl cry."

"Those're tears of happiness, Jessica. And, they're a lot more than what you've done for her." Jessica stuck up her middle finger, and both tables laughed.

"What's this I hear about making our guest of honor cry?" Sandra walked in with a calm smile on her face, and raised an eyebrow to Bengul.

"Oooooh," came a low chant from the other table.

"The girl's just happy to have some friendly faces, is all." Bengul went back to eating as Sandra waved Mimi over.

" _Does this mean what I think it means?_ " Mimi hastily wrote down, and looked at Sandra with pleading eyes.

Sandra gave a chuckle, "I've never kept a secret from anyone under my command, and since pretty much everyone saw you yesterday I figured it was only right they know about who you wer-… who you are. It was a unanimous decision to let you come along." Mimi's eyes lit up, and a toothy smile danced across her lips. Sandra motioned for Mimi to take a seat with her at the bar. "I can't guarantee you we'll find Fox. I'm still a commander in an army, and have a duty to uphold. But, if you come with us lending your strength, and if we hear anything, and we have the means to pursue it, you bet we'll back you up to take down the Desert Fox of Atlas. On that you have my word." Mimi shook Sandra's hand, and the deal was struck. Satisfaction swept over Mimi as she leaned against the bar. Her path forward had become clear. _My revenge is doable…_ Her hand went into her belt pouch, and stroked the family photo. _They won't get away with it._ Giving a sigh Mimi looked onto her new companions; the Wolves of Karsk. They were giving off positive emotions, and some of them even had scents that weren't their own. Most people had a specific scent to their emotions that usually gets muddled up when they pool together. But, with her new abilities, Mimi was able to 'see' a person's emotional scent as it wafted off their body before it got mixed together. A few of the soldiers scents were mixed with each other which caused Mimi to raise an eyebrow. She looked over to Sandra, who had walked over to Bengul, and Tom's table, and sure enough, she too had two scents on her. Giving a scan of the room Mimi found the origin of the other scent. She walked over, and gave Sandra's sleeve a soft tug. Sandra turned around, "Yes?"

" _Why do you smell like Lily?_ " Bengul spat out his drink as he, and a few others who were close enough to read the page erupted into laughter. Sandra's face went completely red.

"OKAY. You, and I are going to have a little talk. Now." Sandra grabbed Mimi by the shoulders, and took her back to Mimi's room where she gave a rather flustered talk about the Nevermores, and the Lancers.


	22. The Call

The old man paused, taking in the words of his guest with care. "The Wolves of Karsk. A battalion that caused a lot of trouble for the Atlas, and Mistral forces in Vacuo with their constant guerrilla tactics whittling down supplies. While not the only group making a name for themselves, at the time, they certainly were one of the more well known ones. Especially by the end of the war." He leaned back in his wheelchair starring at nothing, yet still held an intense look in his eyes, "Those final days. I can still remember them clear as day. I was aboard a destroyer getting taken to a new front in the Vale campaign when the call was received on all channels of our radios. The day we lost the Great War."

* * *

The sun shown high as the soldier strode across the beachhead. A fresh shipment of supplies had just come off the boats from Mistral which meant the base was extra busy with personnel going to, and fro. They held a sizable presence on Vacuo's north eastern coasts thanks to Atlas' strong navy. Large, long tents dotted the landscape along with some portable fortifications that formed the perimeter of the base. The soldier approached one of the larger tents. _At least he's not hard to find…_ He parted the tarp door, and entered the tent. "Captain Fox, sir. Quartermaster Gemini here to make m-" Gemini was taken aback by what he saw sitting in the middle of the tent that he completely stopped talking. There was a wooden boat in the middle of the tent. It looked like it could fit a few people, but instead was currently occupied by a table with food on it, and a man sitting in a chair being waited on by a Faunus girl with fox ears, and tail. The Faunus looked at Gemini as he entered with a neutral expression before giving him a slight bow.

"Ah, is it that time already?" Fox looked at his pocket watch with an amused look, "I must say those Mistral boys sure are efficient when it comes to keeping things on schedule." He brushed some crumbs that were on his lap to the floor of the boat, "Now then, Quartermaster, care for a drink? Something to eat perhaps?"

"N…No thank you, sir. I'm goo-"

"Oh come now, Gemini, I'm trying to help you live a little. We're about to win this war." Fox snapped his fingers, and the Faunus rose to attention. "Girl. Fetch Gemini here a nice cup of the good stuff."

"Yes, sir." Her voice was monotone.

"Really, Capta-" Gemini stopped when Fox pointed a fork at him.

"That's Major, now."

"Right. I'm quite hydrated as I am, Major. You're too generous." _Pretentious prick._

Fox gave a half hearted sigh, "Very well, very well. Girl," he snapped his fingers, and she appeared next to him with a pitcher of some kind of beverage, "We won't be needing that. Put it back."

"Yes, sir." Gemini raised an eyebrow as she left.

"Picked her up while out on a raid a few weeks back," Fox idly stated as he rose from his chair. "Apparently the mongrels are calling me the 'Desert Fox'." He gave a laugh, "So, when I saw her in the bombed out ruins of her village I just had to take her." _That…goes against so much common sense…_ "But, enough about her. You were saying something when you entered earlier?"

"Yes, Major." Gemini straightened his back, "All supplies are accounted for. No loses to enemy naval presences. And, according to Captain Gates, five Vale ships have been sent to the bottom." Gemini watched as Fox's face lit up.

"Wonderful!" He clasped his hands together, "And, the special order I put in?"

"Yes…A single left hand to an Atlesian Squire-45 battle suit was confirmed to have arrived."

"Excellent!" _What?_ Gemini couldn't get his grasp around it. Why would someone order a single piece of the battle suit, and not the whole thing. Atlas could easily ship them in fully assembled which would put the strain off the engineers they had on hand.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Fox raised an amused eyebrow as he sat back in his chair, "Oh? Permission granted."

"I believe it would be in our better interests to ship in the Squi-," he was cut off as Fox raised a hand.

"Dearest Gemini. I've known you for a good seven years now, and you still can't get your head around basic strategy." He grinned as Gemini looked confused. "You say that the left hand came in off the boats, yes?"

"Yes, sir. I've confirmed it with my own eyes."

"Good, and when you signed off for it what was the name on the form?"

Gemini stayed silent for a second as he recalled the form, and it started the click, "Armored unit spare parts requisition."

Fox nodded, "While you may think me overconfident, never think me unprepared. We've shipped in over thirty full Squires this past year. Over thirty Squires that, if there's a leak, have gone completely unnoticed because they're just 'spare parts' for what we already have." A slimy grin overtook his lips, "The desert's a harsh mistress to machines. It only makes sense we ship in more parts should any of them 'break down'." For once, Gemini was caught off guard at Fox's thinking. While not the most brilliant of plans, it was far superior to what he thought Fox was capable of in terms of strategy. "Not to worry, Gemini. There's a plan in the works. We just need a little more time." _I'll give you that one…but…_

"And, another question, sir."

"Yes?"

"Why do you have…a boat in your tent?"

"Ah! This thing." He slapped the side of the boat with his hand, "I finally decided to pick one of these up when I got her," he motioned towards the Faunus girl. "It's a, uh….umm…Girl."

"Skimmer, sir."

"That's it, a skimmer."

Gemini raised an eyebrow, "But, why's it in your tent."

"Because, they use it on land!" He gave a laugh at Gemini's continued confusion, and slapped the skimmer again, "They use boats on land! Man, that kills me every time I hear it out loud." Gemini rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Still nothing?" Tom asked walking up to Mimi. She was holding a rifle she'd gotten off a recently killed Mistral soldier. Mimi shook her head in response, and tossed the rifle to him. Every chance she got Mimi attempted to mimic a gun as she would a spear, or sword. Two years ago she was finally able to mimic a bow, and arrow. Any arrow shot by her would dissolve after ten seconds once fired which was usually enough, but the difference between a bow, and a gun in terms of combat prowess was clear beyond measure. "I'm still inclined to believe Jasmine; a gun's too complex to be mimiced with your ability." Mimi gave a disgruntled sigh. "Anyway, come on," he handed Mimi her robe, "We're heading back to Karsk. And, I for one am looking forward to one of Lily's hot meals after four months of rations." Mimi 'rolled' her eyes, and followed suit. It had been four years since she'd joined up with the Wolves, and all they'd managed to find of Fox were reports that were too outdated to be worth investigating. She wasn't upset at Sandra, Mimi knew she was doing what she could, but it was still frustrating having Fox always be out of reach. That wasn't to say the time was wasted, however. Mimi had become a fearsome fighter, and her semblance was evolving. Not only could she use a bow, and arrow, but her muscle memory retention was currently maxed out at an hour when not in use. She'd even adapted some new armor pieces to her body's design; armored boots, greaves, and a shoulder pad on her left shoulder with a demonic wolf head engraved on it.

After a week of travel the Wolves finally made it back to Karsk to a warm welcome from the townsfolk. Karsk locals made up the majority of the Wolves so they went off to spend time with their families while the rest packed in, and around Lily's inn. Lily seemed to be in a good mood, "Honestly, any sensible bar owner would ban you with the amount of IOU's you're piling up."

"Yeah, but you know I'm good for it." Sandra retorted. The festivities, however, were short lived as Mimi heard a commotion coming from outside, and down the street. She stood up, and motioned for Sandra to follow. When the two got to the door they were just in time to see a man on horseback come riding up to the inn.

"Are you Captain Sandra Wilter?"

"I am. Who're you?"

The man got off his horse, and gave a salute, "James Dawner, sergeant, sixteenth company. I bring urgent news from the high chieftess." At this even those inside stopped talking to listen in. _To receive a direct call from the chieftess…_ Mimi looked to Sandra whose only show of how nervous she was was a single sweat drop rolling down her face. "We've confirmed that Mistral, and Atlas are planning to launch a full scale assault on the major dust mines to the north in a bid to finally win the war. All available companies are being called in." Sandra nodded, took a deep breath, and turned to address those around her. Mimi could see the apprehension in her eyes alongside her conviction.

"Cut the vacation short, men! The chieftess calls for her Wolves!"


	23. Hail to the King

To call Vacuo's main dust mine large would be a drastic understatement. Considering the lack of 'up to date' technology within the kingdom the main dust mine existed in the future. Many of the modern vehicles Mistral, and Atlas had used while still allowed in Vacuo were repurposed for local use in an effort to keep the mines running. It was the largest operation in the kingdom, and the primary source for both Vacuo, and Vale's dust supply. And, now that supply was in jeopardy. Mimi wasn't one for people very much, other than those within the Wolves, but as they drew closer, and closer to the mine they started meeting multiple groups of soldiers. Many from Vacuo, and even a few groups of Vale volunteers serving alongside Vacuo companies. This many new people meant Mimi had to wear her robes almost the whole day, and sometimes at night depending on who they were with. _Vale soldiers are way too alert for their own good._ Luckily, she was getting more used to the itch as she forced herself to wear the robe. While still a terrible itch, it was no longer unbearable. A few soldiers would comment on Mimi, but Sandra always reassured them her being there was a special case. They seemed like nice enough people, so Mimi didn't let it bother her. _That being said…_

"We're here!" came a shout from the head of the group. The Wolves were currently traveling with a group from Vale, the Calatravas as they were called, when they finally reached the mines. Many towers dotted the landscape the desert around the main mine shaft with a massive tower descending it. It sort of looked like a temple. "Seems like everyone's meeting at the base of the primary tower. Let's go!" Vacuo banners flew in a perimeter around the massive gathering of soldiers. There were even some Vale banners interwoven into the line. Once they were intermingled into the crowd Sandra addressed everyone.

"I'm going to meet with the other commanders. Don't stray too far from each other as when I get back it'll be with new orders." Everyone gave a salute, and started mingling amongst themselves.

"Man, I can't wait to see those assholes try to take these mines!" One of the soldiers was getting antsy. "I mean, just look at all of us. They'd be insane to take us on."

"Don't get to eager, James." Bengul was sharpening his spear with a whetstone. "How're we looking, Mimi?" It was common knowledge among the Wolves that Mimi could see the emotional state of people. And, also that she fed on it.

" _Almost everyone's tense._ "

"Almost everyone?" asked Bengul. Mimi pointed to a group of rather ornate Vale soldiers.

" _They're completely calm._ "

"Huh, you don't say." Indeed, there was a group of armored soldiers holding Vale's banner who were completely calm. _Are they glad?_ The emotions coming off them were flavorless, odorless, and completely unappetizing.

"Hey, if they've got some secret weapon that'll assure our victory then more power to them." Tom tried his best to relax, but anxiety crept into his voice. Everyone had their nerves. As the hours passed they only grew worse. Then, finally, Sandra returned with a troubled look on her face. All the Wolves hushed as they waited for her to speak.

"Alright, listen up." There was some despair laced into her voice, though she was doing a good job hiding it. "We've been tasked with spearheading the left most offensive. We'll be fighting alongside the sixteenth, and twenty first companies." There were some murmurs amongst the troops. "Look, I know we're all nervous. But, we can't let these mines fall. The fate of a free Remnant will most likely be decided with the outcome of this battle." Mimi noticed Bengul tense up as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "I'll be honest with you; not all of us are guaranteed to return home from this one. Even though we'll be charging into the enemy's flank don't think for a second that gives us the edge. Never underestimate our opponent. However," a commanding presence made itself known in her voice, "If we are to die today I see no better way than by denying Mistral, and Atlas what they want. What they think is theirs. My spear won't falter as I charge into their ranks, nor when I cut down their troops, or even if they gun me down." There was a new taste amongst the troops, mounting courage. "We are the Wolves of Karsk. Let's show those prissy Atlas boys, and those gutless Mistral pansies our fangs." A cry went out from the Wolves as their spirits were rallied. Mimi couldn't help but grin. Courage was one of the few positive emotions that had flavor, and a good one at that. However, there was something else on the air. It was a smell that was completely alien to her, yet it was as if her body recognized it. Something inside her was egging her to find the source of the smell. _**It smells atrocious.**_ Mimi blinked a bit startled. She'd never thought of a scent as atrocious before. Unpleasant at worst, but never atrocious. Unfortunately, because she was five foot six it was hard to look around. But, the smell seemed to be getting closer, and it quickly revealed itself.

"A fine speech, commander." The Wolves hushed as a man who stood a shoulder above them walked up to Sandra. Even though she'd never seen a picture of the man Mimi could guess his identity based on the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, and the crown atop the man's head. Flanked on either side by ornately armored Vale knights stood the king of Vale himself. His figure was imposing as his cape flowed in the breeze that had picked up, and the low rumble of his voice could be felt in the very soul. _Well…if I still had my soul._ She chuckled at that. But, soon found her attention drawn fully to the king. It wasn't because he was **the** king of Vale who was, for some reason, here in Vacuo, but because that strange scent hung around the man like a cloak. It smelled wrong. Mimi felt a stirring inside her. _I wonder if he_ _ **bleeds like the rest.**_ She shook her head. Why did she want to see the king of Vale's blood? He was an ally. _Why would he be different, anyway?_ The king of Vale was a man, a rather imposing man, but still just a man. _So why do I feel the urge to ripe his throat out?_ Sandra was the first of the Wolves to snap out of her stupor, and saluted.

"You highness?!"

The king waved his hand calmly, "Please, we will be sharing the field of battle soon. Relax your stance, commander Wilter. I come to aid you not as a king of a nation, but as a leader of men."

"The king of Vale's going to fight with us?" Excitement quickly spread through the ranks. "No wonder those Vale guys were so calm. They probably knew."

"Indeed," he turned his surprisingly soft gaze to the soldiers, "I've come to spearhead the center of Mistral, and Atlas' forces. And, I'm counting on you all to put the pressure on them from the flanks."

"You can count on us!" Sandra's face was lit anew with confidence as she proudly declared her resolve to the king. He smiled, and gave her a nod of approval. "Alright, you heard him. Let's take our positions, Wolves." She rallied the men to her as she led them to where they would be positioned. The king watched them part. Until he saw Mimi who was still looking at him from beneath her hood. The robe's hood had a mask that could be pulled over the face to conceal it, and the sun was behind her so her face was in shadow. But, she felt their eyes meet. His gaze turned stoic, and his hand, which was already resting on his sheathed sword, slowly gripped the hilt. The stirring inside her grew as the moments passed, and his aura slowly started to flare. Then, as it looked as if he was about to make a move Sandra came over, and clasped Mimi on the shoulder; breaking the stare down. "Hey, no gawking, Mimi. Let's go." Mimi nodded, and glanced at the king. Although he did a good job of hiding it, Mimi still sensed the king's hostility aimed at her. _Might as well have some fun with it._ She turned fully towards the king, and gave a deep bow, before departing with Sandra. As she gave one last look towards the king she could see the confusion in his face. Mimi merely smiled in amusement, and joined the Wolves.


	24. Dogs of War

Mimi stood ahead of the formation taking in the scents on the air. Her robes softly fluttered in a breeze that had picked up from the east that brought hints of bloodlust on it. An hour passed as Vacuo, and Vale waited in their formations for the advance that they knew was coming. Looking to her right, Mimi saw their main force waiting in their columns with the king of Vale, and the chieftess of Vacuo standing defiantly from the front. The kings gaze would occasionally fall upon Mimi, and every time it did the unease in her gut would stir. Mimi would quickly break the gaze as she didn't know what was causing the unease. _It's that strange scent he has. And, his aura…_ A normal person's aura, to a creature of Grimm, looked like a bright beacon of light, and/or fire. It was the primary way Mimi kept track of where people where by smelling for their aura. But, the king of Vale's aura was like a lantern; his aura's shape was more refined than loose fire, and its light was oppressing. She hated how he was aiming it at her, too. _Damned prick._ With a sigh Mimi turned her attention back towards the east, and she was just in time to pick up a certain scent of the breeze. A scent she had been waiting all hour to find. When they first went into formation Sandra had given her a war horn to alert everyone when she sensed the enemy. She brought the horn to her lips, and blew. The desert echoed with a bellowing drool as the horn sounded, and all eyes shot to the eastern dunes. The king drew his sword, and held it high above his head. After a few seconds of waiting the first objects appeared.

* * *

"Well well. It looks like we've been found out already," Fox amusedly said to his general while looking over the final dune as a war horn sounded.

"Hmph. So it seems." He motioned for the tank he was riding in to begin advancing, "No use hiding if they already know we're here."

"Shall we bring down the hammer?" Fox couldn't hide the grin that overtook his face.

The general nodded, "Take your men to our right line, and have the artillery shell them into submission."

"Of course, general." Giving a salute, Fox departed with two soldiers in Squire-45 suits. The battle suits were spread along the entire line, though Fox got special picks. One of the squire's helmets disengaged to reveal Genimi's face.

"Should we hold back on top of the dunes?"

"No. They know as well as anyone if they hold back we'll just shell them into oblivion. We'll be slowly advancing with artillery support."

"But, sir, it wo-"

Fox shot Gemini a glare, "Gemini! Do not forget who is the commanding officer here." He spread he arms out in a sarcastic gesture, "They're cavemen using sticks. I want this war done before the sun sets"

* * *

Mistral, and Atlas banners held high by banner bearers, mounted onto tanks, or mounted onto the nine feet tall Squire-45 battle suits flew over the eastern dune. Without skipping a beat the king of Vale pointed his sword forward, and began the charge. The Vacuo, Vale lines erupted into a war cry as the soldiers began charging forward. The flanks held the cavalry who broke their horses into full sprints towards the eastern dune. The wolves were mostly cavalry, so the hammering of hooves on the desert floor shook the very air around their left flank. As Mimi was about to begin running she felt a massive spike in the weird scent. She turned towards the south to look at the king, but instead found her attention drawn to what was coming beyond the king.

"Sandstorm!" One of the Wolves who were on foot gave a shout, and pointed to the south. A wall of sand that extended into the clouds above was quickly making its way towards the battlefield. The soft breeze also picked up into whipping wind gusts. All the while the king's weird scent assaulted Mimi's senses. She wasn't sure how he was doing it, but this sandstorm was without a doubt his doing. But, Mimi was quickly brought back out of her thoughts as the familiar screaming also began filling the air as the first volley of artillery rounds began hitting. Luckily, the massive shift in the wind was messing with the shell's ability to hit their intended targets. Mimi faced the enemy line, and broke into a full sprint to catch up with the cavalry. Even if a horse would allow her to ride it, Mimi didn't need one as her speed had increased to the point she could keep up with horses at full sprint.

* * *

"Spread out! Don't give them an easy target!" Sandra held the reins of her horse with a death grip. Her heart matched her horses' frantic pace. The artillery volley ended, but was quickly replaced by rifles taking pot shots at them. There were even arrows flying at them as Mistral archers refused to be out classed by Atlas' riflemen. Sandra had her horse start to zigzag as it charged. But, a few bullets hit true. The horse gave a cry, and tumbled over itself launching Sandra into the sand. She tumbled a few feet before impaling her spear into the ground to stop herself. As she shot to her feet the sandstorm hit the field; obscuring the vision of the artillery crews. Digging through one of her belt pouches, Sandra dug out two yellow dust crystals. The crystals hummed with electricity as Sandra brought out their latent power with her aura. Planting her spear into the ground, temporarily lowering her aura, and holding a dust crystal in both hands, Sandra slammed the sharp crystals down into her thighs piercing into her flesh. The intense pain was intensified tenfold as the veins around the crystals glowed with a yellow light, and sparks danced along her legs. Reaching for her spear, she waited for the dust to coarse through her blood for a few seconds, before breaking into a sprint towards the enemy lines. Everything around her felt slow; the sand, the horses, the soldiers, the bullets. She evaded everything effortlessly while keeping her charge at breakneck speeds. Catching up with the leading cavalry troops they slammed into the advancing Mistral, and Atlas troops. Many were completely caught off guard at Sandra's sudden burst of speed, and agility. At her speed, her spear ripped through the first enemy soldier's aura with ease; impaling him through the chest onto the spear. Three Atlas soldiers leveled their rifles at her, and fired. Still under the effects of her dust high Sandra shifted her weight bringing the spear, and soldier's body into the path of the volley. The Atlas soldier's body took all the bullets; finally killing him. With a quick twirl, Sandra loosed her spear from the corpse, and charged the three who shot at her.

* * *

Gemini was inspecting the battle from the rear next to Fox. Fox was just entering his Squire-45 even though the battle had long since started. Gemini rolled his eyes, and returned to surveying the front. "They're pushing."

"Let me guess," Fox said as his suit sealed around him, "The Wolves?"

"Aye. It appears their leader is attempting a spearhead through our ranks." The Wolves' cavalry was the only one engaging at the moment as the ones on foot had yet to reach the battle line. "She's carving through with a fire even I've yet to see."

"Sandra Wilter." Fox walked forward a few steps, before stopping, and looking back at Gemini. "Would you like to be the one to kill her?"

"A tank shell would do it, too."

"Bah, Gemini! That's not the point." He extended his arm out towards the Vacuo, and Vale soldiers that he could see through the sandstorm. "We must teach them that we not only hold the technological superiority, but also the martial one they hold so dear. We must face them on the field to truly beat them!" Gemini gave a heavy sigh, and put on his suit's helmet. The automatic rifle mounted into his left arm gave a satisfying 'kerchunk' sound as its ammo was loaded, and he drew the greatsword from off his back. Even though it was a greatsword the Squire-45 allowed Gemini to wield it as if it were a really long, one handed sword. The hydraulics in the suit's leg units whirred to life, and he advanced towards Sandra.

* * *

The Mistral soldier coughed up blood as Sandra brought her spear free from his torso. He made her twelfth kill, but the enemy lines didn't seem to end as more poured over the dune. An odd sound was the only warning she got to raise her spear defensively as she spun to meet her new foe. The spear shattered as the greatsword easily cleaved through it. Sandra's aura faltered for a second as she took the full impact of Gemini's hydraulically enhanced swing. Her body was sent flying a few feet ending with her sprawled out in the sand. Blood dripped from her mouth, but Sandra wiped it away, and rose. Two soldiers on horseback charged Gemini in an attempt to save Sandra. But, Gemini lifted his left arm, and filled the air with sustained gunfire. The dust tipped bullets tore through the two soldiers auras leaving them, and their horses a bloody mess.

"I have no time for the likes of you. It is your commander I am here to crush." The Squire-45's helmet visor pulsed with a blue light as Gemini brought his greatsword to a ready position. Sandra lost her grip on the broken spear while tumbling, but there was a sword lying in the hands of a fallen Mistral soldier near the battle suit. She felt the dust high was going to end soon as she had only packed small crystals due to the adverse side effects so she would have to try, and end the fight quickly. Using her still enhanced speed, and reflexes Sandra charged Gemini narrowly ducking a wide horizontal swing from the greatsword. The sword was in good condition, and had Gemini not been wearing a battle suit he would have lost. But, the sword deflected off the armored plates of the suit. Sandra was stunned which gave Gemini an opening to back hand her into the ground. Sandra hit the ground hard, and the world around her started to spin. "Well played, commander. But, none can match the iron will of Atlas!" Gemini raised his blade high drawing the attention of those in the immediate facility. Fox would want witnesses. The air cried as the greatsword sliced through it in a downward arc. However, instead of the sound of metal cutting through flesh, the air was pierced with the sound of metal hitting bone. Sandra tried to regain her bearings while lying on her back, and looked to the sound. "And, who are you supposed to be?" There was worry in Gemini's voice as he addressed the one who blocked his strike. Sandra smiled as she recognized the flowing robes, and demonic looking weapon. From underneath her hood, Mimi glared at Gemini with killing intent.


	25. Hearts of Men

Mimi wasn't fully prepared for the tremendous impact of a Squire's swing, and her knees nearly buckled. Somehow, though, she held on, and stood her ground taking the full force of Gemini's swing; saving Sandra's life.

"You don't look like a soldier." Mimi's attention was drawn to the suit's head as the man inside spoke. The Squire-45 stood at nine feet tall casting an imposing shadow over Mimi as Gemini continued, "But, this strength is no joke. I say again; who are you?" _I wouldn't answer even if I could._ The only response he got was Mimi gritting her teeth, and letting out a low growl. "So, rabid dog it is." The battle-suit's humming intensified as Gemini brought more pressure down upon Mimi's demonic greatsword. The sand at her feet started to part as the continued force slowly started causing Mimi to sink. Two Wolves ran up to Sandra, and started dragging her away to safety. "I've no time for distractions as I'm on a bit of a tight schedule." Changing stance Gemini caused the clashing blades to move towards the ground giving him an opening. A mechanical hand almost the size of Mimi's head grabbed her hair, and threw her to the side before he began advancing towards Sandra. Piercing the greatsword into the sand, Mimi halted herself a few feet from Gemini. Unfortunately, Gemini's fighting style required the greatsword to be used in one hand which made it awkward to use by someone not in a battle suit. The only other greatsword users were some Vale troops, but they were in the center of the army, and the sandstorm made it impossible to activate her semblance on them. _Guess I'll have to get creative._ Quickly gathering her bearings she charged Gemini with her blade ready for a horizontal swing. "Oh, come now." The Squire-45 had small thrusters designed for burst movement which allowed him to dodge the attack. "That was pathetic." _Says the cheater in a mech!_ Her anger boiled over for a second, and she brought her sword down with a vertical strike. Gemini, deciding to play for a bit to attempt to get some kind of joy from the fight, brought his blade up to block it. The hydraulics of his suit's arms, and legs screamed as they tried to compensate for Mimi's massive blow. Gemini was completely taken back. "The dog has a bite now, does it?" Even though his suit distorted his voice Mimi could taste the twinge of fear that leaked off Gemini after her attack. The entire battlefield was ripe with negative emotions, and death. It was almost overwhelming. But… _It's just s_ _ **o delicious.**_ Mimi gave Gemini no time to rest as she quickly began pushing with rapid sword strikes. They weren't precise, but their power made Gemini retreat a few steps. A few of the soldiers on both sides stopped fighting to watch the dual between the mech, and robed warrior. Gemini did his best to keep up with Mimi's frantic pace, but a few strikes slipped through his defenses. They were only glancing hits, but they still managed to send some fear into him. Fear that further fueled Mimi to push even harder. _**More.**_ Gemini parried a blow, and began his counter offensive. Many of his attack hit tearing through the robes, and sometimes giving shallow cuts onto her flesh, and bone plates. Shockwaves of pain raced through Mimi's body with every hit she took, which only caused a smile to play across her face. _**MORE!**_ All pretenses of defense were dropped as Mimi powered through Gemini's blows to deliver her attacks. The clashing of their blades overtook the sounds of gunfire as Gemini desperately fought to regain the upper hand. Taking advantage of one of Mimi's openings, Gemini aimed the autocannon on his left hand, and opened fire. Dust tipped bullets tore through her 'aura' as Gemini filled Mimi's stomach full of lead. With a well delivered strike, Gemini cut the fire from his autocannon, and sent Mimi flying with his sword. A mix of black ooze, and blood filled the air as the blade made a massive gash in Mimi's side that spewed the liquids as she flew several feet.

"Mimi!" Sandra had regained her senses, and forcefully rejoined the assault with the newly arrived foot soldiers. She, and the rest of the surrounding soldiers stared at Mimi's motionless body. Yet, none were as confused as Gemini. He brought his blade up to his suit's visor to inspect the black liquid that now stained it. And, the confusion grew as the 'black blood' started to dissolve away into a black smoke, along with Mimi's demonic greatsword that sat in the sand a few feet away. Something didn't feel right.

"Gemini!" _…_ A call from up the dune caught his attention, and Sandra looked at the newly arrived Squire-45 with a mix of fear, and hate. "How goes killing the commander?" _…F…ox?..._ Fox saw Sandra still alive, and standing. He then looked to Mimi's motionless body with a cocked eyebrow as he'd yet to put on his helmet.

"A rabid dog got in the way."

"Is your armor actually damage?!"

… _Fo…x…_

"It knew how to bite."

"Well, at least it's dead. Now, how about you finish what I-… Oh, look." He pointed as Mimi's body began picking itself back up, "You didn't even kill it right!"

… _Fox…_

"No…" Gemini watched Mimi's body slowly rise with a look of horror, "That can't be possible." Black tendrils wrapped around the massive gash in her side, and began 'stitching' the wound shut. Gemini's fear began spiking. "WHAT ARE YOU?!"

"Gemini?" Fox looked confused at his soldier's sudden outburst. He couldn't fully see Mimi, but Gemini could. He, along with a few other Atlas, and Mistral troops saw the black tendrils as Mimi's robe had given way. They saw the white bone plates along her body that were scratched, and chipped from their fight. And, they saw the two red, pupil-less eyes staring into their very souls.

"OPEN FIRE!" The Atlas, Mistral line exploded into gun fire. Mimi's body was racked with bullets, but refused to fall to her knees. _**Fox!**_ Panic swept through their ranks as she wouldn't go down. Eventually, the bullets stopped piercing her skin as the negative emotions on the battlefield, and their area in particular, were so strong that Mimi's body was absorbing, and self-repairing faster than the bullets could damage her. Even Gemini's autocannon was having difficulty causing damage. Seeing the massive firefight, an Atlas tank rolled up behind the shooting infantry. After getting a glimpse of the black tendrils, the crew quickly loaded the main gun. A deafening explosion rocked the field as the tank fired. The round hit the ground at Mimi's feet, the explosion sent sand particles, and smoke into the air. Sandra, and the Wolves around her looked on in horror at the display of power, and destructive might. The Atlas, and Mistral forces stopped firing, and lowered their guns, and bows. Gemini was hyperventilating from the adrenaline rush he'd felt as he, and sixteen other soldiers all fired at Mimi.

"Well, I think you got it." Fox had his arms crossed, and looked annoyed. "Do you realize how much ammo you just wasted? And, on what? Vacuo's rabid do-" **_FOX!_** Fox was cut off as a deafening sound erupted from the still smoking crater. It wasn't a roar in the typical sense, but more of a mix between lion's roar, and a deer's cry. All on the battlefield who had been fighting in Vacuo knew the sound all too well. It was the sound of a centaur Grimm's war cry. Sandra felt a chill run through entire body as she was both relieved, and completely terrified. Everyone in the immediate vicinity locked eyes on the smoking crater. A terror swept over the left flank as even those on its edge heard the cry. The king of Vale had just cut down four Mistral soldiers with his flaming sword when the cry echoed to the rest of the army. He looked over to the left flank even though he couldn't see it because of the sand storm. From the smoking crater a figure burst out charging at Gemini. He couldn't react as fear had gripped his very being. Gemini's aura wasn't the strongest, indeed he made up for it with the technology in the Squire 45. The demonic greatsword pierced through his aura, and the Squire-45 helmet's visor coming out the back of the helmet drenched in blood, and brain matter. His body fell backwards from the impact causing Mimi to land on his chest as the two hit the ground. The tank's blast had completely destroyed the robes, and what little cloth remained flew off from her lunge. Atlas, and Mistral soldiers watched the humanoid Grimm, now fully exposed, firmly plant its foot on, and pull the greatsword out of their former commander's head. The blade stained blood, and brain onto the desert floor as Mimi gave it a twirl to clean it off. The Grimm's wounds were healing before their very eyes as the air continued to swirl with despair, and death. Mimi's muscles seemed to tone themselves even further as she straightened herself to look upon the man who had personally stolen her mother's life. For possibly the first time in his life, Fox knew true fear as he stared into the eyes of the mimic Grimm.


	26. Hell Hath No Fury

Mimi stood atop Gemini's corpse as she looked up the dune at Fox. Looks of disbelief, and horror were on the faces of every Atlas, and Mistral soldier who stood before her. A few soldiers were trying to reload their guns, but their hands were shaking too hard, and they ended up dropping the ammo. One of the braver, or the most foolish, readied his rifle, and charged Mimi with his bayonet aimed at her head. Mimi was about to cut the fool down when a spear sailed passed her from behind taking out the soldier for her. Sandra walked past her, and retrieved her spear.

"Looks like I'll be able to make good on that promise I made you." She looked back over her shoulder at Mimi, "Fox is all yours. You just leave the rest to us." The Wolves' foot troops had fully arrived, and formed a battle line behind Mimi. There was some fear within them at her, that was to be expected, but she also felt something else. Motivation. Mimi had little time to ponder about it as abrupt laughter echoed from up the dune. Fox was keeled over laughing.

"Now THIS is rich. I always knew you folk were nothing but cavemen, but to think you actually mingle with beasts!" His eyes danced from Mimi, to Sandra as he continued, "Honestly, I don't really care how you've managed to 'tame' a Grimm to be your little obedient pet. And, as much as the boys back home would love for me to attempt to bring it back, I think I'm just going to do the good ol' fashioned extermination method." His arrogance was masking his fear to others, but Mimi saw through his façade.

"So confident, are we?" Sandra twirled her spear behind her back in a clockwise motion.

Fox sneered at her, "You're surrounded, and out gunned, wolf. A good commander would know when to surrender."

"True, but also, a good commander wouldn't forget important details about their enemy."

"Oh? Do tell what is it I'm forgetting?"

Sandra stopped twirling her spear, and grinned, "The Wolves are a cavalry division." For a second, Fox looked confused, before a shout came from one of his men looking up the dune. They were on the left most flank, so there were no enemies beyond them. The Wolves' cavalry had snuck up the dune using the sandstorm as cover, and oriented themselves using the massive rifle firing that had taken place a short while ago against Mimi. Now, a wall of horses, and spears were charging downhill into the rear of Fox's forces.

Rage overtook Fox's face, "Kill them all!" and he fired his autocannon into the charging cavalry. His troops, however, were in a panic as they were now being pincered.

Sandra raised her spear, and gave a shout, "Charge!" The foot troops all took up the cry, and charged up the dune. Mimi stood for a moment taking it all in as soldiers raced past her. She took out the photo of her family. The smiling faces looked back at her with not a care in the world. _Almost._ Pocketing the photo, Mimi started advancing. _After all these years I'll finally get some revenge for you._ Desperate gunfire screamed past them as they charged Fox's troops who were frantically trying to deal with the pincer. Even with the Squire-45's he had, the Wolves' cavalry managed to close the distance, and smashed into the rear of his forces. Soldiers flew down the hill, or were trampled under horse hooves. Fox swung wide, and killed three soldiers along with their mounts. More cavalry poured through, and a few got some glancing blows, but nothing major. The tank that shot Mimi roared to life once more, and opened small hatches along its side. Rifle fire erupted from the tank as the nearby soldiers used it as a shield against the horses, and the main gun swiveled atop the behemoth opening fire into whatever cluster of Vacuo, and Vale soldiers it could. Their formation was tight as they held their position around the tank. _Perfect_. Mimi leapt ahead of the Wolves' foot soldiers in a bee line towards the tank. The main gun quickly swiveled to meet her, and fired. Using her inhuman reflexes, Mimi used her greatsword to deflect the tank shell towards the ground, and jumped. She used the explosion to catapult herself further than she would normally be able to into the air. The cavalry were avoiding the tank which allowed Mimi to assault without care. A few bullets whizzed past her as she fell back to the ground. Using the momentum of her fall, Mimi kept the greatsword above her head, and brought it down when she landed atop the tank's main gun. The impact crumpled the tank, and ruptured the fuel line. A fireball erupted in the center of the battle line as the tank's fuel stores lit up causing the tank to thunderously explode. Fox stopped fighting to look at his now destroyed tank. An Atlas soldier who was near it survived, and slowly got to his feet. He looked to his commander with pleading eyes. The man's aura had burned away from being so close to the explosion, his shirt was gone, and his upper torso was severely burned. His mouth moved to speak, but quickly overflowed with blood as a demonic greatsword impaled itself through his chest. As the man collapsed to the ground, Fox looked back to the destroyed tank. Through the still burning debris, Mimi emerged seemingly unscathed from the fires. The despair. The death. The suffering. It fueled her body to go on. It was _**Intoxicating.**_ Mimi grabbed the greatsword that was still imbedded in the man's chest, and picked it up. With one fluid motion she twirled her blade, and flung the dead corpse at Fox. The tide had quickly, and decisively, turned against him. He watched his men being cut down, by blade, and horse. His machines of war were swarmed, and sundered by Vacuo soldiers.

"…You." He slowly turned to face Mimi. Fear, and rage clouded his face as he spoke, "You. Ruined. EVERYTHING!" Suddenly, Mimi felt as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Her knees shook, but kept her up as an invisible force tried to push her down. _What? Why am I so heavy?_ Her sword ripped itself from her grasp, and landed in the sand with a hard thud. Fox began walking towards her, "All this time. All this work. For what? Some freak of nature to come along, and throw a wrench from outta nowhere?!" The force intensified tenfold, and Mimi's knees buckled causing her to fall to the ground on her hands, and knees. Struggling to look up, Mimi saw waves of translucent violet flowing out of Fox. _His semblance?_ Another sudden change in pressure brought Mimi's head back down. "Do you know who I am?" _A cocky prick whose_ _ **throat I'm going to ripe out!**_ "I am Fox Strilder. Major in the Atlas military. Top of my class! Unbeaten in single combat!" _I don't need your life story!_ "And what are you?" A Vacuo soldier charged him, but was swiftly cut in half as Fox's greatsword cleaved his aura in two. "A mutt." He gunned down five others who were moving to protect Mimi. "No. Less than that; you're a damned bitch who doesn't deserve to even lick the ground I walk upon!" Fox stopped when he was within arm's reach of Mimi, and raised the greatsword above his head. Mimi was unable to move as it took all she had to just keep herself on her hands, and knees. "You are trash. Filth. A stain that will be wiped away from the surface of history. You are…" He trailed off. The pressure his semblance was putting on Mimi caused something to fall out of one of her belt pockets. A photograph. _Don't to_ _ **uch that!**_ Fox picked it up, and inspected the photo. For a few brief seconds he studied the faces of the people. The child. The man. The woman. Mimi struggled once more, and was able to look up at Fox. He looked down at her, "Who the heck are they?" Mimi blinked. _He…doesn't remember?_ "Maybe some family you've killed, perhaps?" _What?_ "To think. A monster like you holding onto something like this from a past victim. Did they taste good, beast?" _I'M NOT THE ONE WHO KILLED THEM!_ Mimi's muscles started to tense as she tried to force herself through the immense pressure. "Despicable." Fox ripped the photo in half, and tossed it into the wind. Mimi watched, dumbfounded, as the pieces flew away. The only piece of her family she still had left, the one thing that couldn't die, was taken from her by the same man who took their lives. Fox lifted the greatsword back above his head, and brought it down with all his might.

Scientists have yet to fully understand Grimm evolution. Some say it happens over the course of a long life. Others believe it happens in short spurts based on the Grimm's environment. And, there are those that believe it's both. The ladder wouldn't be wrong. Mimi's head shot up, and her eyes pulsed red as her semblance forcibly activated itself. All the latent negative emotions that were hanging in the air rushed towards Mimi, and began flooding her body. Bone plates emerged from Mimi's back, and the greatsword split one of the plates in half, but didn't pierce her flesh. Fox was stunned, and quickly drew his sword back, and retreated a few steps. More bone plates emerged along parts of her body that began to mimic the various armored pieces of the Squire-45, but with a more twisted, demonic design. Her muscles grew, and toned themselves beyond what she already had. All the red, veiny designs that accented her mask, and a few of her bone plates softly glowed at the massive influx of emotions. Slowly, she rose to one knee. Fox intensified the pressure on her to try, and keep her down. Mimi took it, and brought herself to a crouch. Not wanting to expend all his energy, and seeing as how it was no longer working as intended, Fox released Mimi from his semblance. The Grimm rose fully to her feet. Her expression was vacant except for her eyes, and even though she couldn't talk Fox had a feeling what those eyes said.

 _ **You. Die. Now.**_


	27. Bloodied Dawn

Sharp, bone spikes erupted from her back as her body adapted itself to the mimicked Squire-45's design. It didn't copy everything, but the plates along her arms, and down her legs formed into what looked like demonic Squire parts. Mimi flexed her fingers a few times, then her arms. The new plates didn't seem to hinder her flexibility at all. She inhaled, and let loose a war cry; her body adapted further, and now her cries were of a lion, and elk. The cry was eerily similar to Chief's from the farm. Her eyes flashed, and swinging her right arm in a wide horizontal arc, a demonic greatsword materialized in her hand. Fox sneered at her, "The monster wishes to die like a man?" He straightened his back, and brought his greatsword to his face with the tip of the blade pointed to the sky. "Very well, then. Come, beast, and see what a real Atlas soldier is!" Mimi leapt forward prepared to cleave Fox's head from his shoulders. While mid-air, Fox activated his semblance; forcing Mimi to land a few feet from him, "Kneel!" It didn't force her to her knees like before, but the air was off limits now. Fox closed the distance quickly, and swung down at her. Throwing herself to the right, Mimi dodge the attack which sent a cloud of loose sand into the air. The sandstorm, and battle continued to rage around them as they both reassumed ready stances. Fox, however, had technology on his side, and sent a hail of gunfire at Mimi as his auto cannon sent bullets tearing through the air. Holding the greatsword in a blocking position, Mimi took the bullets. _That damned semblance!_ The new armored plates that adorned her body took the brunt of the impacts, but some managed to pierce her flesh. _Shit!_ Her body had used a massive amount of the negative emotions in the air for its latest adaptation which was causing her healing ability to falter. Mimi gritted her teeth as the hail of bullets continued to pound her. _Come on…Come on. Run outta ammo already!_ "You see!" Fox cried over his auto cannon's gunfire, "Monsters like you are nothing to mankind!" The auto cannon stopped as Fox once again readied his blade. Through the sandstorm Mimi noticed the auto cannon was starting to turn a bright shade of red, and it seemed to burn the sand, and wind that assailed it. She also noted that Fox didn't seem to notice yet, as he was to focused on her. _That's it!_ Mimi charged Fox, though her speed was at a light jog from the amount of pressure his semblance was putting on her. The hydraulics on the Squire whirred to life as Fox began a new assault against Mimi. While he wasn't as fast as Gemini was, Fox's every attack had killing weight, and precision behind it. His form was also less refined, as he had to use both hands while attacking with his greatsword, which gave Mimi an easier time of mimicking him. They matched blow for blow with each other as Mimi attempted to wear down the forearm sections of the Squire's armor, and Fox trying to fully break through her armor, and tough skin.

Their blades clashed, and Fox growled at Mimi, "I get mimicry is the greatest form of flattery, but you're getting on my nerves." _If flattery is killing you with your own moves, then sure. Be flattered._ The swords broke away from each other, before clashing anew. Unfortunately, due to Mimi's greatsword being made of only bone it began chipping faster than Fox's steel blade. Delivering a critical blow, Fox's sword broke through, and shattered Mimi's blade. She was forced to back off, and tossed the now broken sword away to materialize a new one. "Oh no you don't!" The auto cannon roared to life once more, and Mimi had to shield her face with her arms as the hail of gunfire returned. Thanks to the new bone plates the damage was mitigated, but there were fresh bullet wounds dotting her battle worn body. As the gunfire died down, again, the barrel of his auto cannon was brighter than before. _One more volley should, hopefully, do it._ _I have to piss him off._ As casually as she could, Mimi brought her arms down from her face, and brushed off her shoulders while her face held an expression of boredom. "Not enough?" Fox was dumbfounded at her actions. "Alright, then! Eat dust covered lead you damned freak!" Mimi quickly re-covered her face as Fox continued hailing bullets upon her. Sharp pains echoed throughout her body as more, and more bullets struck true, and broke through her defenses. _Oh come on already!_ "Now do you see?!" Mimi hazarded a peak through her arms at Fox who had a mad look on his face. "This is the power you face! This is the might of Atlas! No one can stand against us; not Vacuo, not Vale, not some would be wolf, and certainly not some Gri-" The overheated barrel had been warped with the sustained fire, and there was so much heat that the rounds were cooking off. One of the bullets tumbled, and got itself lodged in the auto cannon's barrel. The gun forced itself to continue firing leading to a backup. When the backup reached the overheated firing chamber a chain reaction caused all the red dust that laced the bullets to fire off simultaneously inside the armor's ammo storage. The ammo stores for the Squire-45 were in a contained on its left shoulder, which exploded into a fireball that engulfed Fox for a brief moment. Mimi felt the pressure weighing down on her lift as Fox's aura was momentarily consumed to minimize the damage to his body, which cause his semblance to deactivate. Her limbs screamed, but Mimi didn't want to waste this chance, and sprinted towards Fox while simultaneously materializing a new greatsword. Fox was too distracted by the exploding container on his back that he didn't even notice Mimi until she was already swinging her blade. His reflexes brought his left arm up to block so his right could counter attack with a sword strike. But, the already weakened armor from Mimi's aimed strikes, and the auto cannon exploding had severally weakened the Squire. The chips, and cracks caused the outer armor to give in, and Fox's aura hadn't recovered, allowing Mimi to slice off Fox's left arm near the elbow. The hydraulics in his legs seized, and broke trying to compensate the blow, and the explosion. Blood, and oil sprayed through the air as Fox stumbled backwards while crying out in pain. Seizing the initiative, Mimi quickly leapt forwards, and spun into the first swing allowing her to attack a second time without giving Fox the opportunity to block. While her sword didn't go completely through his right arm, it severed the two bones in his forearm, and got stuck. Losing his footing Fox fell backwards into the sand with a loud crash.

"No! NO NO NO!" Even though he'd lost his arms, Fox attempted to crawl away while still on his back. Mimi slowly approached the fallen mech, and dematerialized the greatsword that was lodged in his suits right arm. Without the sword there to hold it back; blood, and oil flowed freely out causing Fox even more pain. Yet, still, he crawled. Seeing their 'invincible' commander defeated, the battle clearly not being in their favor, and being completely surrounded; the Atlas, and Mistral forces on the left flank dropped their weapons, and surrendered. Sandra was completely out of breath, and covered in sweat, and blood, but gave a sigh of relief when the enemy dropped their weapons. Fox, however, was furious. "Cowards!" He spat at them while still doing his best to crawl away from Mimi. "Traitors the lot of you! I'll see you all hung for thi-!" A heavy foot landed on the chest piece of his mech stopping him from crawling, and forcing the air from his lungs. With a pained expression he looked up to see Mimi standing over him. Mimi looked down on him the same way he'd looked down on her mother all those years ago. Disgust. "You…" he said still trying to catch his breath, "You think you've won? You're just some Grimm! Do you think there's a happy ending for you at the end of all this?!" The sandstorm was starting to die down, and the sounds of battle were getting more, and more faint. "There are no happy endings for monsters." He spat the last word at her. Mimi looked up, and panned her gaze across the battle field. One of the Atlas troops hadn't dropped his rifle yet, as he was to terrified of what was happening to properly comprehend what was around him. From deep within her something welled up. The utter sense of defeat now permeated the air, and her body was relishing in it. And, standing atop Fox like this only felt right to end in one possible way. Mimi's eyes flashed while looking at the Atlas soldier, before returning to look at Fox. She held out her hand, and the black mist started to flow out of it to form a weapon. The image was fully in her mind. Everything was crystal clear, unlike before. She grabbed the now elongated cloud of black mist, which dissipated to reveal a demonic looking rifle. _With the 'power' of Atlas you started this…_ She took aim. Fox spouted more insults, and tried fruitlessly to struggle free. _**With the 'power' of Atlas I'll end it.**_ Black smoke erupted from the ejection port on the rifle accompanied by a loud bang. The bullet, which was a very sharp bone spike, pierced through the Squire's chest armor, and into Fox's heart. Mimi watched as Fox coughed up blood, and the life fade from his eyes. While her body was still weak, on the inside Mimi leapt for joy. She straightened her back, and released a long overdue victory cry.

A deafening cheer exploded from the Vale, and Vacuo soldiers across all fronts. Mimi allowed the rifle to dissipate back into black mist, and turned back towards Sandra who was overcome with tears of joy. Their eyes met, and Mimi couldn't help but give a genuine smile. The remaining Atlas, and Mistral forces were rounded up, and taken in as prisoners of war that would be used as bargaining chips later at the piece conference. Hope, and defeat flooded the air around the dust mines giving an odd mixture to drink from since Mimi was completely exhausted. However, once the high of killing Fox had worn off, Mimi thought to herself. _The sandstorm's gone right when the battle ends?_ She turned, and looked towards the main force now that the storm had passed, and visibility was clear. And, there standing at the head of it all was the king of Vale. The chieftess of Vacuo was on the ground beside him catching her breath. Mimi cocked her head to one side as she didn't feel the same joy resonating from him as with all the other soldiers. Instead, she felt an extreme sadness, and deep despair. She followed his panning gaze; corpses lined the desert floor from both sides. The tremendous loss of life this day would be felt in the generations to come. Their eyes met, but Mimi didn't feel any hostility towards her this time. Instead, she felt as if his eyes were pleading with her. _He doesn't want any more lives to be lost?_ While she did feel a terrible hunger after that battle, she still had enough control over herself to last a little while longer. At least until she could slip away, and enjoy the emotions in the air in peace. Mimi gave a heavy sigh, and hopped off the Squire. She took a cloak from one of the dead Mistral soldiers, and wrapped it around herself before following Sandra, and the Wolves back to base to celebrate their victory. The king watched her go with a hidden relieved expression beneath his helmet.


	28. Promise Me This

Karsk was alight as people celebrated long into the night. It was brought via messenger that the Great War was officially over, and Vale, and Vacuo had come out on top. The Wolves were treated to hero's welcomes. Mimi couldn't help but smile at the festivities that sprung up the instant the news was shared. Families reunited. Friends treated each other one last time. There were even a few marriage proposals. She saw Bengul with a few girls on his shoulders as he showed off his strength. Tom was cheering him on from the side with a few others. Mimi gave a sigh as she turned away from the merry sight. Fox's last words floated in her mind. As a Grimm she was unable to fully partake in the celebration. It both did, and didn't bother her. A part wanted to join Tom, and his friends, but another side was disinterested with merrymaking. _Grimm don't usually find things to be joyous over._ Weaving her way through the crowds that flooded the streets Mimi eventually reached Lily's tavern where she was supposed to meet Sandra. It was surprisingly wasn't full up. _Guess everyone's just celebrating in the streets for now._ Everyone who was inside was a Wolf which gave Mimi an excuse to pull her hood down, and let her hair down. Friendly faces greeted her as a few of the Wolves gave her a toast, and the tavern gave a cheer. Mimi would have been blushing, but Grimm couldn't blush it seemed. She found Sandra sitting at a table in the middle of the room with a few others.

"Ah! Mimi, there you are." Sandra stood up when she saw Mimi approach. "I made sure that the place is ours for the day, so feel free to ditch the cloak for a while. Mimi nodded in appreciation, and removed the cloak. Even though the fighting was over her body still retained the pieces it had mimicked from the Squire-45. "So, I guess that is permanent then."

" _Seems that way._ "

"Did you get taller? I could've sworn you weren't as tall as me when we left for the dust mines."

" _I guess I got some of the mech's height._ " Mimi gave a lighthearted shrug. She'd grown four inches since mimicking the Squire giving her a total height of 5' 10". " _Grimm do physically grow as they gain power._ "

"Just be careful not to get too tall, or else you won't be able to find any robes that fit you." They both gave a chuckle. Lily brought over drinks, and draped her arms around Sandra's shoulders.

"Gaaaah. Sooooo Tiiired."

"Oi! The sun ain't even down yet." Sandra playfully shrugged Lily off her shoulders.

"Five more minutes," she wrapped her arms tighter around Sandra, and put more weight on her, "Please?" Sandra deeply blushed, and caved.

" _I'm not the one who needs to be careful. You've a damsel to look after._ " Mimi smirked.

"I don't need lip from you. Besides," Sandra looked over Mimi's shoulder, and grinned, "The reason I asked you to meet me here just arrived." Mimi cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Aye. That I did." Mimi froze. _No...I recognize that voice…_ Slowly, she got up from her chair, and turned around. The soldiers made a path for the giant of a man. His prosthetic leg gave him an obvious limp as it thumped against the wood floor, and he had a nasty scar going down the left side of his face. Tears began flowing down Mimi's face as he approached. "It's mighty good to see you again, Miss Valus." All pretenses, or care of her being a Grimm took a back seat as Mimi leapt into Coaltun's arms. Her arms wrapped around him, as much as they could, into a tight hug. "Easy, easy there," he gave a sore groan, "I ain't the runner I used to be." Mimi loosened her hug, but refused to fully let go. Coaltun awkwardly maneuvered the both of them to a chair, and gave a heavy sigh as he sat down. Mimi finally let go of the hug, and attempted to speak, but only got out odd deer sounding noises. "Take a breath, lass." Sandra walked over, and put down Mimi's journal, and pencil.

"Glad you could make it, Coal."

"What? And, miss the opportunity to be reunited with Miss Valus, here?" he gently placed his hand on Mimi's head, and ruffled her hair, "Not a chance, even with this bad leg." It took a minute for Mimi to fully calm down enough to grab her journal, and start writing.

" _Where've you been?_ "

Coaltun nodded, and went through it back in his head while speaking, "Suppose I should start with…the incident, now shouldn't I?" He sighed, and adjusted himself in the chair. Mimi pulled up a chair, and sat beside him. "After I regained consciousness I found myself underneath the skimmer. The blasts never his us directly, so Natile, and I were only knocked out." He looked up at Mimi, and added with a weary smile "She's also doing fine, by the way." The day's sense of calm that had washed over her was coming back for a second round, as Mimi felt true relief that she wasn't the only one to make it out alive. _I'm glad you're both alright._ "Natile was out longer than me, so I kept us both hidden under the skimmer until those soldiers left. That's when I saw that scarred Grimm come over an take you." Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the scene. "I'm…not fully over it, to tell the truth." He gave another heavy sigh as he wiped away the tears, and continued, "I made sure to bury them. They weren't the nicest graves, but…" Another long pause. Mimi put a hand on Coaltun's shoulder which jogged him out of it. "Anyway, it was fate that brought a Wolf's patrol that was able to pick us up."

Sandra spoke up, "We'd lost contact with Sarss a few days ago, and were in the process of scouting out the area when we came upon them."

"And, you have my eternal gratitude for it. After returning to Karsk Natile, and I joined up with a caravan that was specifically running for Vale, and Vacuo soldiers. We both wanted to do what we could in the face of what happened. We were runners for the various fronts up until about three years back." A weird smile crept onto his face. Mimi tilted her head to the side, and Coaltun answered her confusion. "Well, that was when I became a father." Beams of joyous emotions flowed out of Coaltun as he proudly declared his newest family member. There was…something odd about it. Normally, positive emotions didn't taste like anything, and weren't filling in the least. But, Coaltun's positive emotions at being a father tasted…rather sweet. They weren't as filling as negative emotions, but they did do something for Mimi. She smiled. "Indeed. I still know how to show a woman a good time." He winked at Mimi, and the two laughed as Sandra rolled her eyes. When the laughter calmed Coaltun looked Mimi in the eyes. He studied them for a few moments before speaking in a tired voice, "My, what a fearsome women you've become." He gave her shoulder a squeeze.

" _Why did you wait to contact me?_ "

"It…was complicated. After seeing that Grimm take you away I'd thought you dead, and focused on all I could do for those still alive. It wasn't until around when I stopped running three years ago to take care of my family that Sandra contacted me. And, from what she'd told me, your mind needed to be focused on the now rather than reminiscing on the then."

" _You're not afraid of me?_ "

There was a pause as Coaltun parsed his words, "Afraid? No. Uncertain? I wasn't sure you'd be the same girl I'd known all those years ago. And, even though you're most certainly not the same, you do hold what made you 'you'." Coaltun brought her in for another hug. "Which is why…" he broke off the hug, and looked Mimi in the eyes again, "I'd like to ask you to settle down here." Mimi looked confused at his request. _Settle down?_ "I know you you've killed Fox. And, I know Fox was only one of three men that day." _Oh…settle down…_

" _Bu-_ "

Coaltun stopped her from writing, and made sure she was looking at him, "Please. Mimi. In many ways you're the same, if not better, than you were before. But, you can't live a life of vengeance, and expect things to turn out." _There's no happy ending waiting for me…_ Fox's words played again in her mind. "I'm asking as a friend of your family, and of you. Don't go down this road." He let go of her hands, and awaited her response. She gave a long sigh. _Damnit, Coaltun._ Sandra wasn't saying anything. _Probably letting me make the decision without making me feel forced…at least from her side._ She turned back to Coaltun, and began writing.

" _I don't have to forgive them._ "

"Fair enough." Mimi saw the tension in Coaltun's shoulders relax as she gave her answer. _Guess it was eating at him for a while._ "But, enough serious talking," He took a drink from the table, and hoisted it up, "Let's have a drink." The tavern slowly filled back up with chatter as the mood lightened from its previous seriousness. Mimi looked at Sandra, and Lily privately talking to each other at the bar. Outside the voices of Tom, and Bengul could be heard discussing who to take out to dinner. And, Mimi was sitting next to Coaltun as they shared a drink. _Never forgive…_ She took a swig. _**Never forget.**_

* * *

Volume 2 end.

Once again I'll be taking a week break before Volume 3 begins with Chapter 29: See No Evil.


	29. See No Evil

It was a warmer day than usual all things considered. The beating Vacuo sun was high in the sky. A perfect day for a funeral. Family, and friends gathered to see off Coaltun Minsk who had died peacefully in his sleep. Natile sat in front with a somber expression while surrounded by her children, and grandchildren. The people of Vacuo tried to make funerals a joyous occasion celebrating a person's life as to not attract the creature of Grimm, but there's always some sadness that comes with loss. Luckily for them the funeral had an unseen guardian watching over them. The centaur's body hit the ground, and dissolved into black mist. Mimi allowed the spear to dissolve away with the dead Grimm as there were no more around to disturb them. The least she could do was give his family a peaceful day. Mimi waited until the friends, and most of the family had left before making her move. The grandkids were sent home with some friends, so only Natile, and her two children remained. The son turned, and gave a confused look as the now robed Mimi approached the grave. He was about to speak, but a firm hand on his shoulder from Natile silenced him.

"Thank you, Mimi," her voice was tired, "I needed a quiet day." Her two children looked confused, but said nothing. Mimi knelt down next to the grave. As the wind picked up she put a hand on the tombstone. _Rest easy, Coal. I wouldn't worry about Natile_. She glanced back at the family. _She'll be alright. You left her in caring hands. As for me…_ A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as Mimi stood up. _I'm sorry, but I can't keep our promise._ Natile watched Mimi leave.

"Mom?" the daughter asked, "Who was that?"

A smile played on Natile's lips, "An old friend to you father, and I."

* * *

Karsk's streets were bustling with midday activity of all kinds as merchants manned their shops, family's shopped, or people who were just passing through. The robbed figure wove her way through the crowds doing her best to not bump into anyone. Lily's inn wasn't hard to find in the town as it was the tallest building on the block. Entering an inn Mimi was met with an arm wrapped around her shoulder, and a hearty cheer.

"There she is! Haven't seen you in years, girl!" Bengul was in a good mood. Mimi smiled, and tapped his arm to let go of her.

" _I'm glad to see you too, Bengul._ "

"Aye." He gestured for her to follow him, "Sandra ain't here right now; still on her patrol. But, you're more than welcome to join us while you wait." The table Bengul led her too had other members of the Wolves who all greeted her in kind. That was, until, Bengul put his hand on his head, and threw it to the side in a dramatic fashion. "Not a single visit to your old pals, your brothers, and sisters in arms after all these years."

" _I was here last month. YOU just weren't around._ "

"The YEARS without you."

"Speaking of last month," Tom said trying to get Bengul to calm down, "Bengul, how's Sarah?"

"See for yourself," he replied, and took off his glove to reveal a wedding ring. The table erupted into a cheer, and Mimi gave him a pat on the back. "Aye. I was actually hoping some of you would give me a hand with the wedding?" For the next couple hours everyone helped Bengul plan the best wedding they could think of. Eventually, people started leaving for the night until it was just Mimi sitting alone at the bar.

Lily gave a humorous sigh from behind the bar, "I swear, she spends so much time on this town it sometimes feels like she's married to it instead of me."

"You wound me, Lily," Sandra just arrived, and was standing in the doorway with a hand over her heart in mock pain.

"Serves you right for making a girl wait," Lily replied, giving Sandra a kiss as she came up to the bar. Mimi couldn't help but grin.

"Something you got to say?" Sandra gave her a friendly stare down.

" _Nothing at all._ " The three of them laughed as Lily brought out a drink for Sandra who settled into the seat next to Mimi. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Sandra unwound from a long day.

"So…" Sandra finally broke the silence, "Your serious about this?" Mimi nodded. Sandra looked back to her drink as she idly twirled her glass. Lily left to the back room to give them privacy. "It's been twenty years since the war ended." Mimi sat silently. "I understand they were responsible for killing your family…but…even after all this time?" Silence returned as Mimi idly tapped her pencil on the journal parsing together what she wanted to say.

" _You say 'after all this time', but when I close my eyes I still see that moment as clearly as if it happened yesterday._ " It was Sandra's turn to sit quietly. " _That may just be because I'm a Grimm, and don't forget negative things, but how am I supposed to go on living while constantly remembering that moment?_ " Sandra took a large swig of her drink as she collected her thoughts.

"It's not much."

" _Anything is better than the nothing I have._ "

"Alright. First, though, how familiar are you with the current state of things in Remnant?"

Mimi was confused at the question, and cocked her head to the side, " _I don't really keep up anymore._ "

Sandra nodded, "Well, then I'll give you the run down so that what I have for you makes sense." Mimi fully faced Sandra, and had her pencil ready to write down notes in the journal. "After the Great War things were…complicated on the national stage. Atlas, and Mistral were at our mercy, and willing to accept any demands we had. But, the king of Vale took a magnanimous stance. No land was claimed. In fact, what was proposed was supposed to lessen national tensions. Another demand that was made was the establishment of the huntsman academies."

Mimi tapped Sandra's shoulder, " _What are huntsman?_ "

"Oh, right… Well, you've probably met a few of them sometimes while out in the desert. A group of four people with weapons that fight Grimm." Mimi nodded. She recalled meeting quite a few four man teams while hunting Grimm the past few years, but had just chalked them up to be mercs. "Well, their creation was the king's idea. Personally, I don't agree with it. How can you send children off to fight Grimm all by themselves?" Mimi was about to protest, but Sandra stopped her, "Dust runners are a different case as there are always senior members on caravans. They just send kids out like it's no big deal." Her glass hit the counter hard as she took another long swig. "But, I digress. As a show of good faith instructors for these academies would be taken from all four kingdoms. And, that's where you'll, unfortunately, be getting involved."

" _Why?_ "

Sandra parsed her lips, and took a deep breath.

* * *

"Defenders of humanity? What a load of shit." The old man shook his head. His guest sat silently at the table next to him. "The academies were designed as a stunt. A way to tell the people: 'Look we're working together. Everything's fine now.' But, it was all an act. Having the kingdoms come together for this wouldn't erase all the lives that were lost during those ten years." His gaze traveled past the wall as his mind wandered to those years. "No… The real reason for those schools…" His hands shook, and clenched as he paused. His guest asked what was the reason for the schools. The old man regained control of himself, and looked his guest in the eyes. "Tell me, what do you know about a man named Ozpin?"


	30. New Year New Me

"Last call! All students of Beacon Academy! Last call!" The passenger boat's horn pierced the air signaling the coming departure. A line had formed as each student's identification was verified, and let onto the boat.

"Where is she?" A girl in an orange dress crossed her arms, and looked irritable around the docks. Her long blonde hair flowed in the cool breeze, and her blue eyes held daggers as they continued to scan the docks.

"Over slept?" Behind the girl, a boy with shaggy white hair, and silver leather armored clothing was trying his best to calm down his friend. "You know how she is when it comes to important dates."

"That makes it even worse!" As the two continued to talk a green cloaked figure sprinted towards the ship. "And, speak of the beowolf."

"Oh! Ohoho…OH." The new arrival practically collapsed as she reached her friends. "Just…Just give me a sec here, guys. Phew." Aside from a green cloak the girl wore plain traveling clothes to allow maximum flexibility, and a glaive hung from her back. Her hair was a dark green which matched her eyes. The blonde was unamused.

"Jade," she said flatly, "Where were you."

"Oh, you know…"

"Sleeping?"

"No! I'll have you know I got up at eight this morning."

The boy piped up, "Reading Glagust Grimm Slayer?"

"OH MY, DIA, DID YOU READ WHA-" A swift kick to the gut shut Jade up as the blonde looked livid.

"You almost miss the first day for a COMIC BOOK?"

"Amber," Dia said looking around them, "People are starting to stare."

"Hmph. Whatever. So long as you're here before the boat left I'll let it slide." As she was climbing the boarding ramp she spun on her heels, and put a finger in Jade's face. "This time."

"Aaaah…Hehe…" Once everyone was boarded the boats horn blared one last time before departing. The three friends stayed at the bow of the ship to get the best view. "Look! There it is!" Off the horizon, looming over the lake stood Beacon Academy. "It looks so cool!"

"We've already been there for the school tou-…Jade." Amber's voice took a quick turn from calm, to stern.

"Ah. Well. Funny thing."

"The new Glagust was released that day," Dia said nonchalantly.

"He fought a fifty foot tall Ursa! It was so cool!"

"I'm about to show you fifty feet to that empty head of yours!" Amber clacked her heels. A cur-chunk sound could be heard as the revolvers in her shoes loaded.

"Yikes! Amber, not on a boat!" Jade took off running with Amber hot on her heels. Dia sighed, and turned back to Beacon, whose shadow had cast itself over the boat.

* * *

The entrance hall was packed with students as the last few stragglers wandered inside. "Wow," Jade looked wide eyed at all the people, "There's so many people here!"

"Indeed," Dia looked amused, "This year's class is the biggest one in Beacon's short history." His gaze was drawn to the eastern doors. "Ah, the instructors seem to be finally arriving." Adults in matching blazers started filing in, and mingling with the students.

"Is there a 'Meet You Instructor' thing going on?" Jade asked.

"But of course." A deep voice came from behind the group causing Jade to jump. "Oh! My apologies, Miss. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No no, it's fine." _Nice one, idiot. Good impressions._

"Ah, well allow me to introduce myself." The man had a sharp suit under his blazer, and a nice hat which he took off to give a bow to the three students. "I will be your history teacher for your first year. My name is Professor Jenkins, but I'd prefer it if you call me Shiro."

"Well, nice to meet you, Shiro. I'm Jade Everglen."

"Amber Solst. A pleasure."

"Dia Mund."

"Well, It's a pleasure to meet you all," Shiro said with a smile, "And, I look forward to having you all in my class.

"Speaking of, Pro-…Shiro" Amber began, "How far back will your class go?"

"Ah, for the first year we like to keep things a bit more current, or at least I do."

"What do you mean?" Jade cocked her head to the side.

"We'll be starting off with discussing the Great War." Although Shiro's face held a calm smile his voice held an edge to it that sent a shiver down Jade's spin.

"Why start there?"

Shiro took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding, "The worst of humanity was on display during those ten years. A lot of things many who were involved deeply regret." He paused, and took a deep breath. "It is a good place to start because it is the climax of all that happened before which we'll go into as it comes up in class."

"If you don't mind me asking, Shiro?" Dia was looking sympathetically at Shiro.

"Oh, go right ahead."

"Were you in the Great War?" Jade shot Dia a panicked look. _GOOD IMPRESSIONS!_

"Yes," Shiro said flatly, "Yes I…I was. And, it is for that reason that I believe myself the most qualified to teach it. I lived it." Silence overtook the group for a few seconds. Jade shifted uncomfotably, praying for something to break the awkwardness. Shiro suddenly looked up, "Ah." _THANK YOU!_ "Seems we're about to start." Shiro motioned to the stage at the head of the hall.

"I'll keep this brief." All eyes were drawn to a middle aged man who stood at the head of the podium that overlooked the entire entrance hall. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft, and acquire new skills. And, when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But, I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose. Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this. But, your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far." The man placed both hands on his cane. "It is up to you to take the first step."

* * *

 _Sorry about the short chapter. A full time job, and summer college classes don't leave a lot of time for writing so I might miss a Friday release in the near future to give me time to make these a bit longer like normal._


	31. Riding on Shiny Metal Horses

_You've survived being a captive to Grimm. You've fought countless Grimm. You've stood shoulder to shoulder with soldiers defending your kingdom._ Mimi took a deep breath. _Just. Take. The. Step._ The small train station stood alone in the desert as a stop along the new railway that connected Vacuo, and Vale. With the pacification of Atlas after the war, massive leaps in technology spread across Remnant at an ever growing pace. One such technology was the dust engine train. Mimi didn't trust it. _How can anyone trust themselves to this…metal death trap?_ This marked the third train Mimi was attempting to board. She took too long with the last two, and they left without her. Her hand touched the 'pouch' that hung from her 'belt' to verify her current status. _Yup…almost broke._ She shot an angry glare at the ticket machine. _Stupid Atlas making people pay for new tickets if they miss their 'intended' train._ It was already getting late. If she kept hesitating there wouldn't be another train until the next day. Taking a deep sigh Mimi took a shaky step onto the train car. Her base Grimm instincts were screaming at her to not continue onto this human made steel abomination, but she knew it was the quickest way to Vale. _Come on. Come on. Come on. Stop being a baby!_ Slowly, her second foot left the station platform, and entered the train car. _Okay. This isn't so ha-_ The door abruptly closed automatically behind her causing Mimi to jump. Quickly looking around to make sure no one saw Mimi face-palmed. _Get a grip._ A loud whistle was all the warning she got before the train lurched forward as the train departed the station. Mimi grabbed the nearest seat before she completely lost her footing. _WHO MADE THESE THINGS?_ After calming herself, Mimi glanced around to find that her car was empty. The only sound was coming from the clacking of the train along the tracks as it made its way through the desert. Scooting over, Mimi stared out the window. While there wasn't much to see aside from sand it did give Mimi some time to think. _Well, I'm actually on my way to Vale. Shiro should be somewhere in the capital if Sandra's info is still good…_ From beneath her hood Mimi's eyes softly glowed as her mind, again, replayed the scene of her mother's death. Fox was dead, but Shiro, and Frost were still out there. _I at least have a city for Shiro…I don't even have a kingdom for where Frost is._ Leaning her head against the window, Mimi's mind drifted to a state similar to sleep, but still aware.

"Ma'am?" Mostly aware. Mimi jumped at the voice, and turned to see a man in uniform looking slightly concerned at her. "Oh! I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

 _Oh, right. Conductors._ Mimi waved her hand, and wrote, " _It's alright. I was just lost in thought._ "

Her writing to communicate didn't seem to faze the young man, "Ah. Well, may I see your ticket?" Mimi nodded, and handed him her ticket. "Hooo. Going all the way down the line to Vale? I think you're a bit late, Ma'am."

" _Late for what?_ "

The man cocked his head, "Oh, I thought…It's just that you have the air of a huntsman about you, so I thought you were on your way to Beacon Academy." The man ripped a piece of the ticket off, and handed Mimi the other half. "The first day of class was yesterday. We had quite a few huntsman riding to Vale the last couple days so I assumed you might just be a late arrival."

Now it was Mimi's turn to be confused, " _Why would kids from Vacuo go to Vale when there's an academy here?_ "

"Well…" The man looked around to make sure they were alone before leaning in, and spoke in a hushed manner, "Beacon recently got a new headmaster a few years back, and there's already gossip circulating about the man."

" _Bad gossip?_ "

"No no! Nothing bad. But, to date, he's never been beaten in a one on one duel. And, his record as a huntsman is unmatched despite his age." The man took off his hat, and wiped the sweat from his brow, "It'd take me a lifetime to do all the things that man's done in just the past ten years. They say he once took on a flock of fully grown Nevermores by himself!" Mimi nodded. _He might be a problem._ "Everyone kinda wants to see what they can learn from such a man, or the instructors under his employ. I don't blame them. Kids need a good role model these days, and he certainly fits the bill nicely."

" _Is he some famous huntsman?_ "

"That's just it," the man seemed very excited to talk, and sat down in the seat across from Mimi, "He's a nobody!" He smiled as Mimi cocked her head. "See, he only became famous in the past ten years once he took over as headmaster for Beacon. But, before then, he was just a librarian. Never touched a weapon in his life, let alone fought a Grimm. Then, one day, he left it all behind, was voted into office as headmaster, and became a huntsman of legend."

" _He just 'did' this? Overnight?_ " The headmaster was sounding more, and more like a potential threat.

"Well, see, that's where some of the more…less favorable rumors start coming up." His voice became hushed, and his tone dark, "Now, these rumors have all been left on the wayside since he's doing such a good job as a headmaster…but you hear a lot of things being a train conductor. Did you know who the previous headmaster of Beacon was?" Mimi shook her head. "It was the king of Vale himself!" Beneath her hood Mimi's eyes widened. _HE was headmaster?_ Vivid memories of the strange aura around that man rushed back along with the mysterious powers he commanded that fateful day. "Now, these are just coincidences, but did you know that not a week after the king died peacefully in his sleep this new headmaster showed up. Or, that he picked up everything the king left off as if nothing had changed?" Hearing talk about the king, and this new headmaster was making something deep within Mimi uneasy. "But," the man's tone lightened, "The king was known to be a meticulous note taker, so the new headmaster probably just read what the king had planned, and rolled with it to make things as smooth as possible in the wake of the king's death."

" _Do you believe that?_ "

The man shrugged, "I'm just a train conductor trying to make a living. But, it is interesting food for thought." He appeared lost in thought for a few seconds, before snapping back to reality. "But, anyway, thank you for riding with us. And, have a pleasant rest of your journey." The man stood, bowed, and took his leave into an adjacent car. _Huh. What a strange man._ Mimi returned her gaze to out the window. The new headmaster at Beacon would almost certainly become an obstacle in the way of her vengeance. If he was anything like the conductor said he was, then Mimi's presence would not go unhindered in Vale. _I'll need to lay as low as possible while still searching for Shiro._ A few trees from an oasis cast brief shadows along the train as it passed. _At least, as low as I can while still getting things done._ _Still…_ Whenever the king of Vale entered her mind a part of her would become uncomfortable. Uneasy. **Restless**. Her mind again went into a trance-like state. _I wonder…_ _ **if the headmaster bleeds like the rest.**_


	32. Green Horns

"Could the next contestants please enter the ring?" The students were gathered in the gymnasium that doubled as a dueling arena for sparring practice. Shiro had a megaphone, and was conducting the main duel while the other students watched.

"Man, that was an awesome fight!" Jades face was lit up, "There's some promising huntsmen this year."

"We're supposed to be studying the fights, Jade, not just ogling over them." Amber gave Jade a tired look at her friends lack of scholarly interest.

"It's still cool." Jade gave a pout.

"Indeed." Dia chimed in while keeping his eyes intently on the current duel between a lizard faunas with a ring blade, and a war scythe wielder. "Yet, also peculiar."

The other two gave him a weird look, and Amber spoke, "What do you mean?"

Dia closed a text book he had in his lap, "I believe I can speak for a majority when I say I came to this school to learn to fight Grimm." The war scythe wielder knocked the faunas out of the ring. "Not other huntsman."

"I mean," Jade gave a sympathetic look, "We're not 'learning' to fight huntsman. We're just getting to know each other better! A fight is the best way to learn about someone."

"It's certainly the most direct approach. Still, we are capable of capturing small Grimm, so I'd much rather be spending my time training on those instead." Dia's gaze was distant as he watched the two students leave the ring. Jade was about to say something, but was cut off as Shiro called for the next students.

"Oh, my turn!" Jade practically leapt from her seat as she made her way to the arena.

"Honestly." Amber shook her head. Dia refocused himself to the match as Jade secured her backpack, and drew her glaive. Her opponent was a rather imposing student wielding a tower shield. Ebony Jeremiah, the fourth member of team JADE.

"I know you're new, so I'll go easy on you, Jade." Ebony planted his tower shield into the ground. Jade merely grinned, and assumed a ready stance.

"Ready?" Shiro raised his hand, and looked at both students. Once they both nodded he let his hand fall, "Begin!" Jade made the first move pulling a trigger on the glaive's handle causing small thrusters on the back of the blade to ignite lunging her forward in a fast vertical spin. Ebony brought up his shield, and took the full impact without his legs even flinching. The ground at his feet cracked, and a few loose pieces of tile were thrown into the air. Pulling the trigger again, Jade sprung off the tower shield landing behind him. Ebony was still bringing his shield around when Jade went in for a thrust at his right shoulder. However, her glaive ricocheted off Ebony's body. Jade lost her balance, and took a shield slam to the stomach. Jade pulled the trigger again, and sailed across the arena away from Ebony. She was breathing heavy trying to regain control of her churning stomach, but had a smile on her face.

"No fair! No gut punches directly after lunch!"

Ebony shrugged with a cocky grin, "Not my fault you had three helpings of beef stew."

"It's not nice to call a girl fat!" Jade leapt forward, and went into a horizontal spin as she neared Ebony. He blocked, and was about to go for a counter when the glaive hit his shoulder. Grabbing the shield with both hands, Ebony stood his ground as Jade continued to use her glaive to keep spinning like a top.

"She's too cocky," Amber noted with a sigh, "What is she expecting to achieve with such a full frontal assault?"

Dia smiled, "Actually, she's doing something rather smart." When Amber cocked her head Dia added, "Ebony's semblance turns his whole body into an impenetrable shield. However, each hit drains aura."

"She's trying to rush him down." Ebony grit his teeth and kicked out the bottom of his tower shield. The shield hit Jade's ankle disrupting her spin, causing her to fly off to the side. Quickly realizing her predicament, Jade slammed the glaive into the ground to slow herself to a stop. Her feet were right at the edge of the arena. Jade gave a nervous laugh while Amber face-palmed, and Dia gave her a thumbs up. Ebony's semblance allowed his aura to harden much more than other huntsman, and consumed less aura to do so which left him well over half his aura remaining. Jade, on the other hand, had taken only two counter hits, and was already almost half down. Suddenly, Jade threw her backpack into the air, and hit it with her glaive like a baseball. Caught completely off guard, Ebony ducked the incoming Glagust backpack with a look of disbelief.

"I thought you loved that thi-" Ebony was cut off as a glaive slammed into his back sending him stumbling forward a few feet. "What the?!" Spinning around, Ebony was face to face with Jade. Or, rather, a Jade made completely out of floating red dust that was still flowing out of the backpack filled with dust canisters. He turned back to the real Jade to see her eye's glowing green. "Oh…right…your sembla-" The dust Jade quickly sent a flurry of glaive strikes at Ebony. As he was turning to bring his shield around to block the dust clone's attacks, Ebony heard the distinct sound of thrusters igniting from the edge of the arena. The two Jades danced around Ebony, never relenting their attacks. Ebony's aura bar was draining much faster now, faster than Jade's which was passively depleting from semblance use. Despite her best efforts, though, her bar was still lower than Ebony's.

"I thought she was training her body over the summer with you, Dia?"

The boy glanced amusedly at Amber, "Oh, was that what we were supposed to be doing?"

"I SWEAR TO-. Jade, if you don't win this I'm going to burn your comic collection for a second time!" For a brief moment the sound of blades clashing against a shield stopped. Jades face was one of horror as her mind raced to think of a life without the limited editions of Glagust's mighty, Grimm slaying adventures she'd worked tirelessly to obtain. Steeling her resolve, she gave a shout.

"FOR GLAGUST!" She used her glaive to send herself into the air directly above Ebony while the dust clone kept him busy. And, with all her might, Jade threw the glaive back towards the ground behind Ebony. Not thinking much of it, Ebony kept his shield facing the dust clone. But, the clone suddenly lunged at Ebony. He went to block, but the clone merely went back to being dust, and passed right over him only the reform behind him. Striking a heroic pose, the clone allowed the spear to pierce it. The attack, and still burning thrusters destabilized the red dust causing a massive explosion. The entire room shook, and the students, and Shiro ducked for cover as smoke, and debris filled the air. After a few seconds the smoke began to clear, and everyone peaked over their hiding spots. Face first on the ground, Ebony was breathing heavily, before collapsing, and a shimmer of gray aura washed over his body. As more smoke cleared, Jade emerged. She was unsteady on her feet, but she remained standing. Raising a triumphant fist into the air she gave one last cry before collapsing herself, "FOR NONE CAN STAND BEFORE HIS MIGHTY SWORD! GRIMM SLAYER~!" Amber gave a hopeless sigh, while Dia patted her on the back.

Shiro cautiously adjusted his tie, "A…And, the winner is, Jade!" As nurses were brought in to make sure both students were alright Shiro couldn't help but smile. "They're certainly motivated. All be it for…unusual things."

From the back of the announcer's booth the headmaster adjusted his weight on his cane, "Motivation is a powerful thing for huntsman to have; unusual, or otherwise." Shiro nodded, and both men watched as the two now awake students shook hands with smiles.


	33. Just A City Girl

_Ummm…_ Mimi looked at the map on the wall. _Ok, so if I'm here…Then I need to…_ She looked back down at the paper map in her hands. _But, no. If that's there. And, that's there. Then…_ Looking around the train platform only revealed the mass of bodies that were moving to, and fro. Seconds passed as Mimi continued to stand by the station map on the wall while holding a station brochure which also had a map, although it was drawn slightly different. _Screw it._ She crumpled the brochure into a ball, and threw it in a trash can. _Time to just start walking._ Walking, however, was easier said than done as the station was packed with people making any kind of movement difficult. Grabbing the brim of her hood, Mimi pushed her way into the sea of people, and picked up their pace. _They have to be going somewhere…right?_ Keeping with the tide eventually led Mimi to a large open room with many doors leading to other train platforms. And, much to her delight, on the far side of the room were a few doorways marked with 'Exit' signs. Mentally jumping for joy, Mimi descended the short stairs that led to the platform she came from, and began weaving her way through the crowd towards the exit. Any place was better so long as it was away from those steel death traps these people called trains. _Honestly, what kind of 'sane' person would put themselves into a dust propelled metal box to go places? The fact that it made my journey only a few days be damned._ As she neared the exit strange noises could be heard outside that sent a chill down Mimi's spine. Although it was not as deep, the sound of dust engines was unmistakable. _…No…_ She slowed her pace as she approached the exit. _Please, no._ Walking outside, and giving her eyes a second to adjust to the sudden brightness of the sun, Mimi found that outside the train station was a well kept, paved road along with lines of speeding vehicles. While on the train Mimi had read a newspaper about these screaming metal death traps, also known as cars. Mimi let out a heavy sigh. _Am I the ONLY one who sees what's wrong here?_

Vale's streets were bustling, winding, and packed full of people. Stone buildings lined the streets as walls keeping the flow of people in check. While Karsk was a rather large village for Vacuo it paled in comparison to Vale's splendor. Deciding to avoid being inside an even smaller metal death box, Mimi started to explore the city on foot. Sandra's information was only that Shiro was in the City of Vale, but that didn't give exact information on where exactly he might be. Mimi gave a disgruntled huff. _Luckily I don't sleep, but that doesn't make me feel better about trying to find anything in this city. Also…_ Her stomach growled, cutting off her thoughts. The citizens of Vale seemed contempt, and happy living behind their walls. All these positive emotions weren't doing anything for her growing hunger. Passing a café Mimi overheard a couple arguing with a waitress about there not being a lemon in their glasses of water. _Completely ignorant of those without walls, or the fact they send children to die by monsters._ A low growl escaped her lungs as she watched the flustered waitress try her best to save her tip. _**Pathetic.**_ Not wanting to lose her temper, Mimi quickly moved on, and continue her search. She distracted herself by learning about the other wonders the city had to offer. Like the mystical 'stop light' pole. Three lights that seemed to alternate between each other, and each light directed the cars in different ways. There were also stop lights for people, although they only had two lights. Somehow, everyone seemed to know what the lights meant, and were following each light perfectly. Well, almost everyone. A man in a suit dashed across the street even though the light forbid it. He was almost hit by a car, but managed to just narrowly dodge it. Another man, who was standing next to Mimi at the time, quickly also crossed the street after the him. Mimi saw the man wearing a uniform with a V.P.D. logo on the sleeve.

"You! Stop!" The first man in the suit turned back to the officer at the shout.

"Excuse me?"

"You tryin to get yourself killed, buddy?"

"I don't know what you mean, officer." Mimi cocked her head. _What, is he stupid?_

"You just jaywalked right in front of that car! Next time try to follow the signals."

"Oh! You must be mistaken, sir." _…What?_ "I was just standing here, minding my own business when that man," he points to a rabbit Faunas in a similar suit, "Crossed, and almost caused an accident." _Oh, come on. Like that would ever wo-_

Slowly, after seeing the Faunas, something in the officer's demeanor changed, "Ah, you're right." _…I'm sorry…What?_ "You there, Faunas."

The rabbit Faunus, who was reading a newspaper, looked up at the officer who was now in his face, "Y-Yes, officer?"

"You know jaywalking's a crime?"

"But, sir, I-"

"Do you realize the accident you could've caused?" the officer lectured as he began handcuffing the Faunus.

"No! Wait! I didn't do anything! I was jus-"

"Save it." The officer yanked the Faunas by the cuffs, and began leading him away. Looking around, Mimi saw no one make any moves to do something. Not even a couple Faunus who were nearby moved. Instead, they hung their heads low making extra sure not to make eye contact with anyone. _Huh._ Mimi recalled a while ago hearing about some kind of 'rights movement' for Faunus, or something along those lines during her time on the train. _Guess it didn't work. Still, though…_ She wasn't troubled by the treatment of the Faunas, on that she had no opinion, but rather the fact that it was so blatant, and everyone just let it slide. _The big city's weird._

A couple blocks down, and still Mimi was getting nowhere with just walking. _Well, yeah, Mimi, what did you expect? A clue to just fall into your hands?_ She let out a sigh as she inspected the block she was on. _I could always try the locals?_ Pulling out her new journal, and pencil, Mimi looked at the shop she was standing next to. _Honestly, anything's better than this aimless wandering._ Mentally preparing herself for a conversation with someone new, Mimi pulled open, and entered the shop only to be greeted by a young man, probably in his early teens Mimi guessed, behind the register giving her a wave.

"Welcome to 'From Dust Till Dawn', stranger. How can I help you?" As he got a look at the cloak covered Mimi he became a bit hesitant.

" _I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for someone._ " Reading the note the boy slowly nodded, and raised an eyebrow at Mimi. " _I have a throat infection._ "

"Oh, no! I wasn't thinking anything of it!" The boy was sheepish, but pleasant in his demeanor. "It's just that if you're looking for a missing person you should probably be telling the police."

Mimi shook her head, " _He's not missing, I, personally, just don't know where he is, and was wondering if you might be able to help me since you seem to know people._ "

"I do?" the boy slightly blushed, "What makes you say that?"

" _When you greeted me you called me a stranger. That told me you know the people around here, or at least have regulars._ "

"Ah. Well, I don't like to toot my father's shop's horn," he straightened his red apron, "But 'From Dust Till Dawn' is quite the spot for huntsman, and huntress' looking for supplies! If you're looking for a huntsman then I, or my pa probably know him."

Mimi scratched her chin before writing, " _I don't know if he's a huntsman, personally, but he does work at Beacon Academy._ "

The boy's face lit up, "Beacon? Why didn't you say so?" He quickly left the register, and disappeared into the back of the store. After a few short moments he returned with a brochure. "Your best bet would be to catch one of the tours that visit the area around Beacon, and hope to catch him, or someone who know him."

Mimi cocked her head, "Can't I just walk to Beacon?"

This made the boy cock his head, "Oh, right, you're new in town. Still, I wasn't sure there was a soul alive who didn't know. Beacon Academy isn't in Vale, but located on the cliff side outside the city." He opened the brochure to a picture of the academy sitting ominously on the cliff face. "Really, it's a beautiful place, even if they don't let visitors on the campus proper without a proper reason."

" _Is it a closed campus?_ "

The boy nodded, "Yup. Beacon's pretty prestigious so they don't want just anybody on site. This person you're looking for must be pretty cool to be working there." The memory of her mother's death flashed into her mind, and Mimi held back from snapping at the poor boy. Instead, she thanked him, and took the brochure. As she was about to leave, however, five men in matching suits walked in. Mimi saw the negative emotions hanging around them, and her stomach couldn't help but growl. As she subtly began drinking, Mimi noticed the boy at the register clam up, and begin exuding fear. _…Great…_ Before a word was even spoken Mimi realized the situation.

"Alright, both of you, neither of you move neither of you get hurt. Capeesh?" The boy immediately froze up, but Mimi just cocked her head. _Who says 'Capeesh'?_


	34. Heisting High Jinx

The five men wore matching suits, sunglasses, and hats. Except for the middle one, most likely the boss man, whose hat was much more ornate than his compatriots. Seeing as how neither Mimi, or the kid at the register moved, the boss man lightened up a bit, and took on a 'friendly' appearance. "Well, well, kids who can listen to directions? Truly a triumph of the modern education system, if I do say so. Such a shame we happened upon you fine folks, but business is business." _Oh…Great…He's a monologuer…_ Mimi 'rolled' her eyes as the boss man sauntered his way up to the counter with his four goons following suit. "Now then, dear boy."

"M-…My name's-"

"Dear boy," the kid clamed up as the boss man cut him off, "It's rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking." He adjusted his tie, tipped his cap, and rested his elbows on the counter to look the boy in the eyes. "Business is business." With a snap of his fingers the four goons took out sacks that Mimi hopped they were just holding with their hands behind their backs, and started moving towards the dust on display.

"B-B-B-B-But-"

"B-B-B-B-Boy. You really need to work on that stutter." He clapped his hands together. "But, that can wait for another time," he pulled out a pistol, "Empty the pockets." As the boy fumbled trying to dig the stuff out of his pockets, Mimi watched on amusedly. _I think I read a story about this one time way back._ She scratched her chin as she tried to remember. Seeing her move, boss man turned his attention towards her. "Oi! Dusty Robes. No moving. Capeesh?" Mimi couldn't help but let out a snort. _Capeesh! HA!_ This, however, only seemed to irritate the boss man. "My dearest apologies, miss, but allow me to repeat myself." He aimed the gun at Mimi's head. The four goons stopped robbing the store, and began exchanging nervous glances. "Now, I'm not one for hurting kids. I love kids. They're stupid. And, gullible. And, they do as they're told by their betters. But, when one little snot nosed brat gets outta line. We got ourselves a problem." Mimi cocked her head to the side. _I wonder how long he stays up looking in the mirror to come up with this stuff._ Boss man's right eye twitched at her casual response. "Alright. Example time." In one, fluid motion boss man aimed the gun at the boy, and pulled the trigger. Mimi watched as the boy's aura flared up to take the brunt, but it was too much, and shattered. He was knocked off his feet, and some of the bullet shattered; tearing into his clothes. The four goons began visibly sweating. "Example time over. Now th-" He turned towards Mimi expecting her to be cowering in fear, but instead found she hadn't moved. She looked at the boy, who was behind the counter hyperventilating, then looked back at boss man. _I mean…he's fine, so that wasn't much of an example._ While a rather dark thought, Mimi made no attempt to suppress it. She'd spent the past twenty-some years stewing in her lust for vengeance. A kid getting non-fatally shot in front of her wasn't going to do much. Boss man was about to begin another monologue, but the door to the shop suddenly opened. "'Scuse me, Green, but shop's closed." He casually waived his gun at the new arrival. A girl, who was probably in her late teens, wearing a green cloak, with a glaive on her back looked around the shop at everyone. Her gaze lingered on Mimi for a second, before coming to rest on the boss man. Noticing the glaive, boss man gave a tired sigh. "Oh gee, I wondered if any of you child soldiers would crash our business meeting. However-" _I'm going to rip his throat out._ "-I think it's time for class, little green, so go on," he waived his gun dismissively at the door, "Get. Shoo." Since her arrival, the girl in green stood stoically looking over the situation. Then something in her head clicked.

"OH!" She was suddenly full of energy. Mimi, and boss man both jumped. "Sorry, could I try that again?" Boss man's gun slowly lowered, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"S-…Sure, Green?"

"Awesome. Thanks!" She quickly left the shop, and shut the door behind her. Everyone stared at the door. Three seconds. Six seconds. Ten seconds.

"You," boss man finally spoke up, and motioned towards one of the goons, "Check outside." The man gulped, and took out a bat. _WHERE WERE YOU HIDING THAT?!_ As he approached the door his grip tightened, and he mentally prepared himself for what would be behind the door when he opened it. But, he wouldn't open it. Indeed, when he reached for the door it suddenly flew inwards; slamming into his face, and knocking him to the floor. The green cloaked girl returned, and kicked the door in.

"Vile villains!" She stepped over the man on the ground, and took the glaive off her back. "Your transgressions against man will not be forgiven! I, Jade Everglen, am a hero of justice!" _WHY DOES EVERYONE MONOLOGUE IN THIS CITY?!_ "Prepare thyself." She pulled a trigger on her glaive causing rockets to kick to life. As the glaive spun it slammed into the guy on the ground's face, and sent him into the shelves across the store. The three remaining goons had their jaws agape, but boss man just gritted his teeth.

"Well? Don't just stand there!" He snapped at the three goons, "Get her!" Acting out of fear more than hate, the three goons charged Jade. She held an air of authority as she straightened her back, and pulled the trigger on her glaive. A quick vertical spin sent the lead goon into the ceiling. As he fell, Jade reversed her grip, pulled the trigger, and sent the falling goon crashing into his friend. The last goon standing did a double take on the situation, before dropping his bat, and bursting out the door onto the street. Boss man rolled his eyes. "You know, you just can't find any descent help these days." Catching Mimi completely off guard, boss man threw his arm around her, and pressed the pistol against her head. "Not a move, green, or the lass in yellow doesn't see sundown." _Umm._

This turn of events caused Jade to pause, "Y-...Fiend!" Her facade of authority was wavering. "I-"

"Not. A. Move." Mimi could tell boss man was serious as murderous intent was surrounding him. That being said… _While I could go for some more drink, time's a wasting._ Catching both Jade, and boss man by surprise, Mimi grabbed boss man by the shoulders, lifted him over her head, and slammed him into the ground. The floor tiles cracked under the impact, and boss man's aura shattered; knocking him out. For a few seconds the store was silent. _Oh yeah, probably overdid it with that._ She looked to Jade, but instead of a look of shock, or horror, Jade had a huge smile on her face, and looked rather excited.

"THAT WAS SO COOL! Are you by chance related to Glagust?" Mimi slowly cocked her head to the side. _…What?_


	35. Man in the High Tower

Light danced across the water giving the city of Vale a shimmering effect from the tower's vantage point. The room was never truly quiet; the constantly moving cogs that adorned the office saw to that. Yet, still, the headmaster found the place quite calming. The turning cogs, while noisy, were uniform. A well oiled machine with no faults. _Faults._ The headmaster silently mused to himself. On his desk was a fresh stack of paperwork from the city council that 'required his urgent attention'. They were due the next day. _I suppose even I still have some faults._ He smiled to himself in amusement before turning away from the window, and returning to the desk. As he picked up his pen a strange noise stopped him. A metallic lurching, and grinding filled the room for a few seconds before it came to a halt with a loud metallic 'snap'. The headmaster looked around confused, and caught off guard. Across the room, along one of the walls, was a viewport showing the inner working gears of the tower. However, one of the gears was no longer turning. While there were backup systems in place in case of a break the headmaster couldn't remember the last time it had had a break, if ever. When he rose to go investigate, a knock came from his door. The headmaster gave a sigh, as he already suspected who was there. "Come in." The door creaked open, and Shiro appeared in the doorway.

"My apologies if I've disturbed you, headmaster."

"Not at all." The headmaster took his cane, and slowly walked out from behind his desk. "Although, I'm pretty sure I know why you're here. And, I'm pretty sure I've already given you my response." The headmaster kept a calm, neutral tone as he addressed Shiro.

"But, please, hea-" Shiro was stopped as the headmaster raised his hand.

"Please, Shiro. This is a safe haven. I'd prefer we use names." He placed both hands on top of his cane. "As friends."

"Right. Sorry, Ozpin." Shiro was a bit apprehensive, but that was to be expected. He took a deep breath, and continued, "But, anyway, I'd just like you to hear me out."

"I did hear you out, and I declined your request."

"Yes, but I never got a chance to explain the **why** of my request."

Oz gave a sigh, and pinched his brow, "I will not have Atlas airships in my school, Shiro." He put extra emphasis on Shiro's name to drive the point. "While, yes it has been twenty years since the end of the Great War there are still those who remember it. Who mourn it." Oz stared into Shiro's eyes as he spoke, "Who fought in it."

"I know." Shiro became somber for a second, but countered, "And, that is exactly why it would be a good idea to allow this field trip."

Oz rolled his eyes, "You're not going to take 'no' until I at least hear you out, are you?"

Shiro couldn't help but grin, "I won't take too much time, Oz."

"Please," Oz gestured for Shiro to fully enter the room, "Take all the time you need. You'll probably need it."

"Right." Shiro walked with Oz as the two approached the window overlooking the lake, and city of Vale. "First, it is not airships, but an airship. Singular. Nothing to grandiose, but still something worthy of our student's time. Second, it won't be here at beacon, but lingering in the mountains out of sight of the city. I can easily arrange for the attending students, and faculty to be brought to the ship's location via Atlas' new prototype bulldog v-tols." Oz raised an eyebrow at this, but Shiro continued, "It is one hundred percent safe I've been assured by the engineers. I would never put our students in harm's way for a cultural field trip. And, third, yes there are still those who hold grudges for Atlas, and my kingdom's past mistakes, but this would be a chance to begin making amends." Shiro gestured towards the city, "If we can get the next generation to view Atlas, and Mistral as allies, and friends instead of foes with contempt then we can get one step closer to a peace across Remnant. While we can't fix the mistakes of the past we can work so that our children don't worsen what's already come to pass. You know this better than anyone the importance of the next generation's view on the past."

"It's partly why I hired you."

"Exactly. So, please," he put his hand on Ozpin's shoulder, "Let me **show** you why you hired me." Ozpin couldn't help but smile at Shiro's sincerity. After, and even during, the Great War there were a number of Atlas, and Mistral forces who fled to Vale, or Vacuo. Shiro was one of those who came after the war had ended as he had seen firsthand the horrors the Great War brought to the people of Remnant. He returned his gaze to the city. The two stood in silence for a few seconds as Ozpin mulled over Shiro's proposal once more.

"And, it's completely safe? One hundred percent?"

"Of course!"

"Shiro." Ozpin's gaze was serious. "A large part as to why I've been declining this request of yours is that; if anything happens," he turned to fully face Shiro, "If **anything** happens this could have serious repercussions on more than just the two of us. I need to make sure you fully understand that."

Shiro, with a determined look in his eye responded, "I will take full responsibility for anything that may occur. On that you have my word, Oz." Ozpin slowly nodded as he listened to Shiro, and continued to think.

Finally, he spoke, "What would need to be done to make this happen?"

Shiro's face lit up, "Oh, thank you, Oz! Thank you! Yes, I've already been in contact with one of my old acquaintances in the Atlas military, and he's got approval from his command. All we have to do is convince the city council to allow the airship into Vale airspace."

Oz grinned, and rolled his eyes, "So, we have the hard part?"

A soft smile was on Shiro's lips, "Afraid so." The two laughed, and continued to iron out details of the trip. By the time they finished the sun was setting. Shiro finally excused himself, leaving Ozpin alone in the office. Shiro's optimism always brought a smile to his face. As he was lost in thought, Ozpin found his gaze returning to the forgotten, broken cog he had originally intended to investigate earlier. Approaching the gear revealed it had given way to time as it was rusted around the teeth. _Odd._ Ozpin thought as he was sure he'd kept up with all the maintenance of the tower. _All it took was a bit of neglect, and time..._ His gaze was taken from the gear to the now lit up cityscape of Vale. Something in the back of his mind was gnawing at him. _Neglect…and time._ What was he neglecting? Was he neglecting something? Something from a different time? Ozpin looked back to the rusted gear. Without his backup system the gear would have caused the entire tower to halt, or worse have caused greater damage. His neglect to take care of the gear might have cost him. So why? _Why can't I shake this feeling I've neglected to take care of something else? Something…important._ Nothing answered him. Not the cityscape outside his window. Not the machines still churning away within his walls. And, not the old, rusted gear that had disrupted his 'perfect' creation.


	36. Comic Stops & Soda Pops

"So, then the Death Stalker appeared, and it was HUGE! Whenever it was shown it was on a double page spread! Glagust traded blows with it, using his glaive to dual its tail; trying to get a hit in! It was one of the best runs, in my opinion! Almost as good as the one with the Geist that possessed an entire village! Oh! I just remembered there was this other run…" Jade trailed off. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, and took a drink from her soda. After the debacle at From Dust Till Dawn Jade had started following Mimi around showing her the lay of the city. They'd stopped to get something to drink when Jade's throat became dry from over talking. "I probably sound really boring, and like a complete nerd right now." Her eyes trailed down to her drink, and she swirled it around a few times.

Mimi tapped her journal, " _Not at all. It's actually endearing to listen to someone talk about something they love so much._ " Jade face lit up at the compliment.

"Oh! Thanks!" She downed the rest of her soda. "Baaah. That hit the spot. You sure you don't want anything, Mimi?" Mimi waived her hand dismissively. In truth, she was quite full. Jade's positive emotions whenever she talked about this 'Glagust: Grimm Slayer' comic was almost comparable to those experiencing true love. _Kinda creepy if I think about it._ She mentally shrugged. _If that's what she's into._

" _I'm guessing 'Glagust' is what made you want to become a huntress?_ "

Jade nodded enthusiastically, "Ever since I was little I loved stories about bands of adventurers; traveling around, saving people, fighting the Grimm. Although," her face softly blushed, "Glagust was always my favorite because they've always had the prettiest looking art." Her hand idly rested on her brand new 'Glagust: Grimm Slayer' backpack she'd bought while they were wandering. "The arcs aren't always the best, but the art has always been top notch." Jade turned towards her glaive which was leaning against the wall next to their outdoor table. "It's also the reason I picked up Kinderträumen. Here!" Jade dug into her backpack, and pulled out a comic book. Flipping through it, Jade eventaully stopped, and put the book on the table facing Mimi. The panel was a full page view of Glagust with his foot on the head of a defeated Beringel with a glaive piercing its neck. "Tell me that doesn't look like the coolest thing ever!" Mimi softly chuckled to herself. Jade started on another exposition about the story going on in the book, so Mimi leaned back in her chair, and got comfortable. Although the two had burned a lot of daylight Mimi didn't mind to much. If anything getting friendly with the locals could yield her some benefits. Befriending a huntsman doubly so. _Speaking of…_ She waited for Jade to take a pause to catch her breath. "Oh, sorry. I went off on another tangent, again."

Mimi, again, dismissively waived her hand, " _I was actually wondering if you could help me with something?_ "

Jade perked up, "Sure! What's up?"

" _I'm actually in town looking for someone, and last I heard he was a part of Beacon's faculty. How familiar are you with them?_ "

"Well, I just started a few weeks ago, so I know only a few of them. But, I can try. Who're you looking for?"

" _Shiro Gane_ "

"Oh yeah, I know him." Mimi sat up. "He's my history teacher." There was a pause as Mimi attempted to process what Jade had just told her. _He teaches…history…?_ Jade cocked her head to the side. "What? Does the guy you're looking for not teach history?"

Mimi slowly shook her head, " _When we met he didn't seem like the history type of guy. Or, a teacher type for that matter._ "

"You, and a lot of others." The waitress brought Jade a refill, and Jade sipped her soda.

" _What do you mean?_ "

"Normally I don't take part in gossip, but this was something no one couldn't hear about. But, he actually fought in the Great War for Mistral." Mimi's body slowly tensed up as flashes of various battles came back to her mind. "A lot of people were quite upset when it was announced he would be hired on at Beacon. But, the new headmaster personally vouched for him, apparently." _There's that headmaster again._ Thinking about him put a bitter taste in her mouth. _Now I can confirm he's an enemy if he hires war criminals like Shiro._ "Personally, I like him." _…I'm sorry…What?_ Mimi stared at Jade from beneath her hood in disbelief. "He's a pretty nice guy, and he knows a lot, and he makes learning about history interesting." _**NICE?!**_ Mimi slammed her hand onto the table in a fist causing Jade to jump. _**An act! A ruse! He's trying to get off scot free is what he is!**_ Her hand trembled as she squeezed her fist tighter. "I-I'm sorry! Was it something I said?" Mimi snapped out of her thoughts, and remembered where she was. People were staring, and Jade had a timid look on her face. _That's right, it isn't her fault. Shiro's had years to perfect a disguise of innocence. Jade's just a poor soul who's fallen for it._ Mimi apologetically waived her hand.

" _No, you've done nothing wrong. It's just that the Shiro I knew was nothing like that._ " Jade relaxed a bit after reading that. " _He stood by while others took something from me I can never get back, and I've been looking for him ever since to confront him about it._ "

"Oh…" Jade was stunned, and was trying to process the image of an evil professor Shiro. "But, I mean, he's really nice from what I've seen. Maybe he's changed since you last saw him?"

Mimi shook her head, " _That doesn't matter. If I don't confront him I won't be able to live with myself._ " Jade slowly nodded.

"There was an arc kind of like this once; in Glagust." Mimi tilted her head to the side as Jade continued. "See, there've been a few one-off arcs by various writers over the years. They don't affect the main story at all, but are usually fun situations that wouldn't normally happen. In this one there was a mad scientist who'd found a way to control the creatures of Grimm. He claimed it was for the betterment of humanity. In his madness he sent his Grimm to 'reclaim' a village from some bandits, and they did; by killing all the bandits, and captured villagers. This village was actually home to one of Glagust's old allies, Fyrona, who died to the Grimm while trying to rescue her family from the bandits in the attack. Glagust went on a personal crusade against the mad scientist. However, when he finally got face-to-face with him all Glagust found was a man broken by his good intentions. He'd personally disposed of all the captured Grimm he had in his base, and erased all data regarding how to control them." Jade fell silent with a downcast stare at nothing for a few seconds.

Mimi tapped her journal, " _What happened?_ "

Jade gave a shrug, "No one's quite sure. The writer died before he could get to the last issue of the run, and a different one was brought in to finish it. The scientist turned out to be faking it trying to get Glagust to lower his guard, and unleashed a massive amalgamation of a Grimm against Glagust, and they had a big fight." Jade sipped her soda. "A lot of fans say the last issue isn't canon as it was by a different writer, and there were some major tonal differences from that issue, and all the previous ones. Although, we'll never know if there was a different ending for certain as the writer, surprisingly, didn't write down notes about where he was taking the story." She looked at Mimi. "What ending do you think is canon?"


	37. Doomsayer

_Aaaaagh. This sucks._ Mimi was slouched on a park bench sulking to herself. It had been a few days since having met Jade, and she was no closer to Shiro since then. _There is just no way to get into that damned school!_ She'd tried sneaking onboard a boat headed for it, but was found, and forced to leave as the ships were heavily monitored for stowaways it seemed. She could have killed them, but the people of Vale hadn't done anything to cross her, and the guards were doing their job, so she let it slide, and complied with them. Mimi looked down at a piece of paper she held in her hand with a list of possible ways to get into Beacon. Boat was crossed off. Train was also crossed off as there wasn't a station at the academy. Car was crossed off as there weren't any roads leading to the academy. Mimi reached into her hood, and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. _Why is this place so difficult to get into? Is it a school, or a fortress?_ Looking back at the list; walking was crossed off. Mimi had, indeed, walked all the way from the city of Vale to Beacon academy. But, there were security systems in place, and she was quickly found by some guards, and escorted back to the city. Luckily, the guards she'd run into took pity on her for being unable to speak, so they let her go with a warning. One had even suggested enrolling for next year if she wanted to get in so badly. _Me? Become a huntress?_ She brought her gloved hand out from her hood, and stared at it. Beneath the yellow cloth was the pitch black flesh of a creature of Grimm. _Not happening._ Enrolling was crossed off. From her bench she had a nice view of Beacon academy sitting atop the cliff side. Originally a passing thought… _A fortress…Now that I think about it, Beacon's situated atop a cliff overlooking the city. The cliff cuts off an entire side of attack, and allows defenses to be more tightly contained, and managed. Its position overlooking the city allows it an almost complete view of the whole city at all times from the top of that tower._ Mimi locked her gaze to the tallest spire that rose above the rest of the school. She recalled that the school was originally built by the king of Vale. _He was the previous headmaster…The want of a king to protect, and oversee his people probably got the better of him when designing the place._ She sighed in frustration. Everything on her list was crossed off. Crumpling up the piece of paper, and tossing it, Mimi laid down on her side. The bench wasn't the most comfortable place for a nap, but Mimi needed to pass the time. She watched as hours passed, as the sun danced across the sky until it began to set. Her bench was facing Beacon, so all she could do was stare at that tall tower. _It's mocking me._

"'Scuse me, Miss." Mimi sat up at the sound of someone's voice directed at her. Standing a few feet away was someone draped in a mish-mash of clothing…which kind of reminded Mimi of… _Chris?!_ Mimi quickly shot off of the bench, and fully faced the person. However, upon closer inspection, the person was a man, not a Faunus, and the clothing was different. _Oh…just some homeless person._ The man had his hands up. "Sorry! Sorry! Didn' mean to scare!" Mimi relaxed, and plopped back down on the bench. _What am I doing? Why am I thinking about Chris now?_ The homeless man lowered his hands. "A-Anyway…I was actually wondering if you could spare a seat for a fellow?" Mimi blinked in realization. _I'm dressed in yellow, shabby robes, don't talk to anyone unless I need help, and sleep on a park bench. Mother of crap: I'm a homeless person._ The completely unsurprising realization just seemed to annoy Mimi more than anything, but she still scooted over to allow the man to take a seat. "Thank you kindly." The man plopped down on the bench, and let out a satisfied sigh of contempt. "You know, be glad it's still early autumn. Vale winters are something, I'll tell you what." _Great…He's a talker…_ Mimi let out an annoyed groan. "Bah, don't be like that. A little company does the mind good every now, and again. And, people these days could use all the company these days. What with the flying death machines." _Smooth._ Mimi could tell he was forcing a topic, but decided to indulge the man. As she was about to reach for her journal to write a response, the homeless man quickly held up a finger. "Now I know what you're thinking! 'But, dear fellow, what flying death machines?'" _Sure, let's go with that._ "Well, as a fine, upstanding citizen such as myself allow me to spread the word, lest we all share the same fate!" _A homeless doomsayer…Just my luck._ "Even now, the beast flies ever closer! Brought upon the wings of false friendships it is!" The man was making grand, sweeping gestures with his arms as he spoke. "It comes to rain fire upon us! Oh, yes! Fire only the iron wings of Atlas could forge!" This caused Mimi to perk up. _Atlas?_ Slowly, Mimi sat up, and faced the homeless man who, upon seeing Mimi take more interest, had a big smile across his face. "Ah, finally got your interest? Tiss true. News is all over for those who know how to listen. Atlas is sending something big! You'd best watch the skies, sister, lest you be caught in the heat!" Mimi tilted her head. She'd fought Atlas' might head on during the Great War, but she never recalled anything resembling a flying beast raining fire. "And!" He suddenly grabbed Mimi by the shoulders. "What's that new 'headmaster' doing about it?" _The headmaster?_ "He's sending those children like lambs to the slaughter to sate the hunger of Atlas!" _What?!_ Mimi forced the man to let go of her shoulders. _Sate the hunger of Atlas?_ _What's this guy on?_ The man wagged a finger at her. "Oh! I see the doubt! I's seen it! You want proof?" He turned, and pointed towards the docks. "That's where the children'll be come tomorrow. Being taken by Atlas to feed the beast! There's your proof!" Mimi, with a raised eyebrow, looked out towards the docks. She'd never paid it any attention, but there was a wafting apprehension in the air. Apprehension that flowed from the docks. Her eyes narrowed, and her fingers tensed. There was definitely something about to go down at the docks; whether, or not it had anything to do with what this doomsaying guy was spouting would be determined later. _Speaking of…_ Mimi turned back towards the homeless man to find that he'd risen from the bench, and was standing facing her. "See for yourself, but I'll rest easy knowing another soul knows the truth!" With a friendly smile, he bowed to her, and took his leave. Mimi cast her gaze back to the docks when a though struck her. _That guys voice was oddly familiar…And, the way he bowed…_ She turned back around to question him only to find that the homeless man was nowhere to be seen. Now that she thought about it; she'd never seen a single homeless person since she'd arrived. She slowly turned back towards the docks, and that wafting smell. Either way, she had no other leads on getting to Beacon, so maybe this could be a blessing in disguise? As the sun set over the city, and Mimi walked to the docks, a Nevermore the size of a normal crow watched from a nearby tree branch. Its beady, red eyes watched Mimi intently, as did those behind them.


	38. Come Fly With Me

On the ground, the docks have regular patrols during the night time hours. They travel in groups of two to four people equipped with flashlights, and batons. Normal routes cover almost every inch of the docks leaving virtually no place for anyone to hide out. _Lucky for me, they don't check the rooftops._ Mimi was perched on the edge of one of the warehouse's roofs overlooking a group of guards pass by right beneath her. There wasn't any access to the roof by normal means, but that didn't account for the athletics of a humanoid Grimm who could jump from the top of some shipping containers over thirty feet to an adjacent warehouse roof. Mimi had spent the night observing all the guard's patrols, and made sure to only stay in locations that were out of possible peripheral sight. She also made sure to gather some valuable information. Inside one of the warehouses were four landed prototype Bulldog V-TOL gunships. Atlas' logo was proudly painted on the doors. Mimi's fists clenched. _Guess that doomsayer was onto something after all._ Ensuring there were no guards looking, Mimi silently leapt down from the roof, and scurried into the warehouse. The sun was still just rising above the horizon which meant the place was mostly deserted for a while longer. Quickly looking around to get the lay of the place, Mimi investigated the gunships. She'd never seen anything like them before. _Is this the flying beast he was talking about?_ She ran her hand along its cold, iron hull. _How is this thing supposed to get off the ground, let alone fly in the sky?_ Mimi guessed that if she put all her strength into it she could lift one of these things if only for a few seconds. Continuing to look around eventually led her to a crate with a clipboard on it. A lot of the papers were permits, shipping catalogs, etc. One thing that stuck out, however, was the log regarding the gunships. It called the 'Bulldogs' and they were a 'V-TOL'. _Whatever that means._ Reading further, the Bulldogs were only to be there for the last two days, and were scheduled to leave this morning with passengers. _Wait…They're putting people in these things?!_ Mimi looked back to the massive metal machine. _Atlas really is full of nut-jobs._ She wanted to keep reading, but a sudden increase of noise outside drew her attention, so she put the clipboard back. Taking a look outside revealed a sight that sent a chill down Mimi's spine. _Crap! Gotta hide!_ There were too many outside that she would get spotted immediately, and she didn't want a fight. Darting back into the warehouse Mimi found her eyes being drawn back to the Bulldogs. _Aw. Screw it._

* * *

Jade gave a large stretch, and deep yawn as she stepped off the boat, and onto the docks. "Man, I know this is gonna be fun, and all, but did they have to make it so early?" Her hair was a bit unkempt, and her belt wasn't fully on right.

Amber, who looked perfect, rolled her eyes. "That's what you get for staying up all night playing that board game with Dia."

"It's not fair," Jade clasped the side of her head, "Why do I feel like a drowsy Ursa, but he's normal?" Dia was walking ahead of them with perfect stride.

Ebony, bringing up the rear, noted, "That's because he's been downing energy drinks for the past two hours." Jade caught up to Dia in time to see him finish downing an entire energy drink. He tossed it into a nearby garbage can to a bewildered Jade.

"Get on my level," he said with a cocky smile.

Jade gritted her teeth, "One day…" Amber gave a sigh, and Ebony chuckled. In total there were four huntsman teams taking part in the fieldtrip professor Shiro had sprung on them a few days ago.

"Please, students, this way. Form into your teams over here. Thank you." Shiro was personally directing the whole thing. "Once again, I'd like to thank you all for coming. Honestly, this is a bigger turn out than I'd anticipated, but that won't stop us." He was rather chipper, although anyone could tell he was nervous, and trying to make things go as smoothly as possible.

"Oh man!" Jade was slowly waking up, and getting excited. "This is gonna be so cool!"

"You've said that like six times already," Amber pointed out.

"Yeah! I mean, come on! We get to see a real Fort Slayer!" Amber raised an eyebrow, and turned to Dia.

"Glagust's mobile home base is a flying ship," he said, "Many fans speculate Atlas copied the idea from the comic, but I'm fairly certain Atlas was already experimenting with flying machines back during the Great War."

"I…See…" Amber gave a worried look at Jade who was staring off into space. She swore she saw a line of drool from Jade's mouth. After attendance, Shiro led the students across the docks to a warehouse with its main doors wide open. He gave a smile as he saw all the student's eyes grow large when they saw the Bulldogs

"Holy cow! Are those what I think they are?"

"I've only ever seen one on TV!"

"Are we going to ride in those?" The students were abuzz with anticipation.

"Settle down, now." Shiro addressed the students, "Atlas has provided us with transportation from their latest, state-of-the-art V-TOL transport crafts. Each team will be assigned to a craft so that there is plenty of room for each student. Now, starting off…"

"Oh man!" Jade was fully awake. "Our first adventure into the unknown! Let's do this team JADE!"

"We are not keeping that name." Amber raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" Ebony questioned, "I think it's a rather nice name, and it allows it to be a color."

"You don't get it. If she has this she'll ne-"

"Team JADE!" Jade burst between them. "Onward to our faithful steed, and Fort Slayer!" Dia was already on his way to their gunship, and the others quickly followed suit. Once everyone was onboard, a dock worker with two glowing sticks stepped in front of the Bulldogs, and began conducting them outside. The gunships hummed to life as their pilots coasted them out to an open space. After a quick system's check the worker with the sticks gave the pilots the go ahead. The Bulldogs roared as their thrusters fully engaged. Gradually, the gunships lifted off the ground straight up into the air. Once they were clear of rooftops, the thrusters rotated to point forwards, and the gunships took off. Soon, the city of Vale disappeared from the horizon, and the only thing under them were trees, and mountains. Jade looked like a kid in a candy store as she peered over the edge at the ground zipping by. Shiro, who was in their Bulldog, couldn't help but smile at the genuine enthusiasm radiating from Jade. Although, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was staring daggers into his back. Whenever he glanced over his shoulder, however, he was only met with the metal grate that led that led to a small cubby, and a door leading to the pilot's seat. With a shrug, he ignored the feeling, and enjoyed the ride.

"Look!" After almost ten minutes of flying, Jade gave a shout, and pointed ahead. The rest of team JADE followed the point, and their jaws hung agape. Emerging from a large cloud was a massive, flying, metal boat with wings. It had to be the size of a few city blocks, at least. The four Bulldogs flew into formation, and approached the flying behemoth. As they approached, a large door on the side of the airship opened to reveal a hanger bay. Flight crew scurried about as the four Bulldogs landed side-by-side. A rather nicely dressed man, flanked by two soldiers, greeted the students.

"Welcome, huntsman of Beacon, aboard the Neuanfang! I am captain Joseph Arlington." Upon seeing Shiro, Joseph stepped forward, and gave him a firm handshake. "A pleasure to see you again, old friend."

"Please, the pleasure is all mine. And, all ours for your generosity in allowing us aboard such a fine vessel."

"Indeed she is. I'm sure you, and your huntsman will find the Neuanfang exceeds expectations." Both men turned, and watched as all the students gazed around the hanger in amazement. "But," Joseph clasped his hands together to get everyone's attention, "daylight doesn't last forever. Let us begin with a tour!" As the captain led the group out of the hanger no one noticed a figure clad in yellow exit the Bulldog's cubby, and dart into a nearby ventilation shaft.


	39. Friends is A Loose Term

_I WAS RIGHT THERE!_ Mimi was crawling through the ventilation system of the Neuanfang while mentally berating herself. _I'm a Grimm! Why am I afraid of heights!?_ At first she thought it was a blessing that Shiro had ridden in her gunship, but was too afraid of flying in that metal deathtrap to move. She stopped, and gave a frustrated sigh with herself. _And, now I have those huntsman to also worry about. Not to mention figuring out a way out of this place._ The doomsayer's words rang in her head. _I should also keep an eye out for anyone like that, too._ There was another force at work that led her to the Neuanfang; Mimi could just feel it. Whoever that guy was with, though, seemed to be wanting to help her so she'd be willing to at least hear them out before **ripping them to shreds**. _Focus._ Bloodthirsty thoughts wouldn't do her good when she was trying not to be seen. She didn't even know where she was going. _All these tunnels look the same!_ After a few minutes of peering through vent grates Mimi eventually saw what looked to be a map on the wall in the hallway right outside her current grate. No one seemed to be around, either. Forcing the grate off the wall, Mimi climbed out, and gave a stretch. Despite what it seemed; crawling through vents was a massive pain. Since no alarms were raised, and no one was yelling the coast was truly clear. She walked over to the map, and inspected it. It looked like it was being displayed on one of those video screens, but this one was much larger. There were buttons on the base of the screen that, when pressed, displayed different floors of the airship. She was so engrossed in deciphering the map that she didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hall until it was too late.

"Mimi?" Mimi jumped, and spun around in a fighting stance. But, instead of a guard, she found Jade standing in the hallway. _Oh…um…_ "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were on this field trip too?" Jade tilted her head to the side, and gave her an inquisitive look. _Crap. Crap. Crap. Think of something, brain!_ Mimi quickly took out her journal, and began writing.

" _Actually, I'm here on invitation from Shiro. I was picked up by one of those Bulldogs, and was trying to meet up with him. But, I got lost._ " _Please work. Please work. Please work._

"Oh! That makes two of us." _YES!_ "I needed to use the bathroom, and…well…" Jade scratched the back of her head, and had an embarrassed look on her face at her blunder. She turned to the map. "Oh! This'll help!"

" _Do you know where Shiro is?_ "

Jade nodded, "Yup. Just gotta get my bearings on this thing." A wicked smile played across Mimi's face as her excitement grew. While this was probably more dangerous than confronting Shiro at the docks that scenario had passed, so Mimi was more than willing to just wing it from this point forward. "Okay." Mimi turned to the map, and followed Jade's finger. "So, we're here, and the others should be in the flight control center four floors up. There's some stairs not far from here we can take. Then, just a left down the hall, and it'll be the fourth door on our right." Mimi nodded at Jade, and the two set off. As they reached the stairs there was a group of personnel coming down to their floor. Their eyes lingered on Mimi for a few seconds, but ultimately they brushed her off since she was with Jade, and they probably figured she was just some weird huntress. _Never underestimate the foolishness of man._ Jade was in high spirits as she had a look of fascination on her face even though there wasn't really anything special in the halls. That same love was radiating off her, and Mimi found her wicked smile softening. That was, until they reached their destination. Jade took out a badge that the students were given to open authorized doors. The room was lined with computer terminals, and staff managing everything. The other huntsman, Joseph, and Shiro were also there looking out the window wall at the hanger below.

"Jade!" Amber was the first to notice them, and had a very displeased look on her face.

"Jade?" Shiro turned to face her. "What did we say about wandering off?"

"S-Sorry, professor, but I ran into a friend who wanted to meet you."

"A frie-…" As Shiro shifted his gaze onto Mimi for the first time his voice trailed off. His entire body tensed up, and he grabbed Joseph's pistol from its holster. It all happened in the span of a second. Mimi stared into Shiro's eyes, and saw something she wasn't entirely expecting. Recognition. "GET DOWN!"

"Wha-!" Jade was forced out of the way as Mimi sprinted passed her towards Shiro. Gun fire shattered the serenity as Shiro sent four rounds into Mimi. The bullets didn't even pierce her skin, and bounced harmlessly to the floor. Everyone else was dumbfounded, and unable to move. Mimi reached Shiro, grabbed him by the shirt, and sent both of them through the window wall. "Professor!?" As they fell, Shiro tried bashing Mimi in the head with the pistol; to little avail. They landed on the wing of a Bulldog, before rolling off onto the hanger's floor. The ship's alarm was blaring, and flight crew ran as guards began flooding the hanger. The two soldiers who were accompanying Joseph stood in front of team JADE defensively as Joseph grabbed the intercom from a nearby terminal.

"Shiro!? What in the name of sanity are you doing?!" Mimi, and Shiro ended up about twenty feet from each other. Shiro, making sure he still had the gun, sorely rose to his feet. Mimi also rose, though with more ease as the fall wasn't as hard on her. All the guards pointed their machine guns at the two in a perimeter around them. The students were nervous as more armed Atlas personnel gathered.

"Open fire!" Shiro screamed as he waived at the surrounding troops. "Open fire, damn you! Don't you know what that is?!" Mimi activated her semblance, and black smoke flowed out of her right sleeve. Shiro, and the guards looked in shock as Mimi grabbed the smoke which caused it to solidify into a demonic looking copy of Shiro's pistol. All present on the hanger floor could feel the killer intent erupting from Mimi, and did the only thing a human would do when faced with such a force. They opened fire. Joseph, and team JADE looked on in horror as over twenty machine guns roared to life spitting their bullets at Mimi. There were too many to dodge, but the mounting fear in the air was enough to get her healed through the worst of it. The bullets tore her cloak to shreds. And, a few seconds after it had started, the hanger fell silent once more with only the alarm sounding in the background. Everyone had emptied their entire magazines, and their guns clicked.

"Did I give the order to open fire!?" Joseph was furious. Team JADE didn't know what to do, and stood by in complete shock. Shiro, and the guards all reloaded, and pointed their guns at Mimi; who was still standing after all that. _This…smell…_ Mimi's right arm twitched. _These…sounds…_ More black smoke poured from her right hand as bits, and pieces of the cloak blew off in the wind that swept through the open hanger doors. _**The fear…**_ Her eyes pulsed red as her semblance activated once more. _Don't you remember them too…_ Mimi straightened her back fully as the last of her cloak was blown off. Everyone looked on in horror at the now fully exposed Grimm. _**SHIRO?!**_ She grabbed the black smoke which solidified into a demonic machine gun, and pulled the trigger. A slew of black mist funneled out the ejection port of the gun, as a hail of sharpened bone spike erupted from the muzzle. It only took two, or three spikes to shatter a soldier's aura, and the fourth, or fifth to kill them. Panic swept the hanger as the guards, once more, unloaded their machine guns. This time, however, Mimi leapt high into the air; dodging a vast majority of the bullets while still continuing to rain death upon the guards. One major difference between the Atlas machine gun, and Mimi's was that Mimi didn't need to reload as hers was constantly refilling itself through her body's absorption of the negative emotions, and death that flooded the hanger. Mimi landed hard on a guard, shattering both his aura, and skull with her foot on the floor. All organization to the Atlas guards was gone as it was now a desperate fight for survival as Mimi continued to dodge around, and gun down soldiers. Shiro, for his part, started to run away. _**COWARD!**_ But, as Mimi went to give chase after him she felt something above her. She leapt back just in time as she just dodged a glaive. Jade landed in the hanger in a roll, before coming out of it on her feet facing Mimi. Her expression was one of sadness, and fear as she gazed at Mimi. _**…Jade…**_ Mimi made a gesture with her head motioning to the side. _**Step aside.**_ Jade, seeming to get the message, shook her head, and tightened her grip on Kinderträumen.

"I don't really know what's going on…but…," she looked around at the dead bodies of the soldiers, "I can't sit by, and just watch this, Mimi!"

"Indeed." Mimi looked up to see the rest of team JADE scaling down the hanger wall, and landing alongside Jade. Dia spoke, "It is a huntsman's duty to eradicate the creatures of Grimm."

Ebony drew his shield, "To protect those we care about."

Amber tossed a few bullets into the air, before doing a spin kick to load them mid-air into the revolvers attached to her high heels, "And, to back up our comrades when they do foolish things by themselves." While a quip, Jade felt relief at her team's words, and faced Mimi once more, but with a more confident expression of determination. Mimi dropped the machine gun, which dissolved into black smoke, and gave a sigh. Her red eyes pulsed, and more black smoke began pouring from her hand. _**Never underestimate the foolishness of man.**_


	40. Crash Course

Bullets bounced onto the hanger floor as Mimi's body pushed them out of her flesh, and finished healing. To be frank; Mimi didn't want to fight team JADE. Vale stood with Vacuo during the war. Killing the potential offspring of her former comrades put a bitter taste in her mouth. While Mimi mulled over her thoughts, team JADE held their ground. Dia spoke, "I've never heard of a humanoid Grimm, before." He glanced at Jade. "And, you said you were friends with it?"

"I thought, at least." Jade tried to control her breathing as she watched Mimi continue to stand doing nothing. She recalled their first meeting, and how Mimi had, unlike so many others, listened to her go on about comics. Even though she only communicated through writing, Mimi had engaged her on her interests. Taking a glance behind her, Jade saw Shiro had stopped running when she, and her team intervened. While she had killed the Atlas soldiers, Jade knew Mimi's true objective was Shiro. She gritted her teeth trying to think of a peaceful outcome. Mimi was a Grimm, but she was also a friend. Right?

"Heads up." Ebony got in front of everyone with his shield raised. Mimi had started walking towards them.

Dia folded his arms behind his back, and began issuing orders, "Ebony, get close, and do your best to keep it tied down. It seems that mobility is one of its strengths, so let's take that away. Amber, Jade, hit-and-run tactics."

"Right!" The three spoke in unison. Even though Jade wanted a peaceful solution, she knew that they would at the very least have to wear Mimi down first. Dia's hair softly glowed with white light as his semblance activated. White rings appeared around the three other members iris' as their senses, and minds were linked. In perfect unison they executed their strategy. Ebony rushed straight towards Mimi, while Amber, and Jade moved off to the side to get flanking positions. Mimi narrowed her eyes at the sudden flair up from Dia's aura, but ignored it to focus on the three actively attacking. _So, a battle of force?_ Her eyes flashed, and the black mist solidified into a towershield. She braced as Ebony slammed into her. She didn't even flinch. Ebony sharply looked up in surprise. _You call that an attack?_ Mimi gave him a quick shove away, and brought the shield back. _**This**_ _is an atta-!_ Before she could swing, she heard the familiar sound of Jade's glaive, and quickly brought the shield up to block. The glaive deflected off the shield, and Jade quickly moved away before Mimi could counter. Suddenly, bullets pierced Mimi's back. Spinning around, Mimi saw Amber firing her revolver heels. _You little!_ She was about to charge Amber, but Amber suddenly stopped firing, and Ebony slammed into Mimi's back. _What the?! She could have shot him?!_ Confused at their seemingly rash tactics, Mimi dematerialized the shield, and brought back out the machine gun. A swift kick pushed Ebony back, and she began pumping his shield full of bone shards. Jade, however, swooped in causing Mimi to abruptly stop to dodge the glaive. _Shit, this is annoying! How are they…?_ Mimi noticed the white rings around their iris'. _Oh._ She turned to Dia who was standing off to the side not taking direct part in the fight, and saw that his aura was snaking through the air, and into his three teammate's. _**You.**_ Mimi sent a volley of bone shards Dia's way only for Ebony to leap in the way. More rounds came in from Amber, and Jade was coming in for another attack. Mimi's semblance activated twice in quick succession on the two girls. She ducked, and grabbed Jade's glaive. Pivoting on her heel, Mimi swung the glaive, and Jade along with it, directly into the firing path of Amber's bullets. The confusion disrupted the link, and Amber accidently fired off two rounds that nailed Jade in the back. Luckily, her aura absorbed the bullets, but that confusion was exactly what Mimi was hoping for. Continuing the swing, Mimi sent Jade flying at Amber. Amber caught Jade, but that meant they would be out of the fight for a few seconds. Breaking away, Mimi sprinted at Shiro while unloading her machine gun at Dia to keep Ebony pinned there defending him.

" _Stop it, it's going for Shiro!_ " Dia sent the message over their link. Jade, now back on her feet, threw her backpack into the air, and hit it with her glaive like a baseball bat. Mimi saw this, and quickly switched from the machine gun, to a demonic looking glaive, and sliced the backpack in half. Red dust poured out, much to Mimi's surprise. An even bigger surprise was that she felt Jade's aura flair up, and noticed the red dust started forming together into a clone of Jade. She quickly jumped back as the clone took a swing at her. Mimi landed on top of a bulldog, and looked over the situation. Now there was another combatant as agile as Jade chasing her. _Just my luck._ The clone quickly caught up to her, and leapt onto the bulldog from some nearby crates with the real Jade right behind it. Mimi wasted no time in assaulting the clone. But, fighting both it, and Jade, and trying not to kill Jade was proving bothersome. Bullets started coming in from Amber, as Dia's link allowed her to fire, and for Jade to know where Amber was aiming to avoid being there before the bullet passed. While Mimi dodged most of the bullets, a few landed, and her body wasn't healing as fast since there wasn't as much death, or fear in the air anymore. _**I'm not dying alone!**_ Scanning the hanger, Mimi saw Shiro behind some Atlas security guards. Shoving Jade, and the clone back, and taking some of Amber's bullets, Mimi brought back the machine gun, and immediately sent a volley towards Shiro. Two of the guards by Shiro were killed, and one of her bone shards pierced Shiro's aura, embedding itself into his arm. However, one of the guards was standing by a console that was hooked up to all docked bulldogs for diagnostics testing. His body, and a few bone shards, slammed into the console causing a short circuit. More alarms blared as all the bulldogs hooked up to the machine activated, and began taking off. Jade looked at the bulldog's engines as they began to roar to life, and begin tilting forward. She looked back at her friends, and at Shiro who was clutching his arm. Jade faced Mimi, took in a deep breath, and resolved herself. _SHIT!_ Mimi went to jump off the bulldog, but was stopped when she had to block an attack from Jade. Mimi looked confused, but Jade looked determined. Only to late did Mimi realize what Jade was doing. Deflecting her glaive away, Jade activated the thruster; embedding it into the hull of the bulldog. Her clone followed suit, and they both wrapped one arm around Mimi, and the other around their embedded glaives. _WHAT THE?!_ Mimi lost her footing, and fell on her back onto the hull with Jade, and the clone still clinging onto her.

Amber looked on in horror, and cried out to her, "JADE!" Jade sent one last message through their link as the bulldogs ripped themselves away from the cabling of the machine.

" _Trust me._ " All the bulldogs, now fully engaged, burst from the hanger. With no pilot, they started to list from one side to the other as they picked up speed. Mimi wasn't sure what to do. If she broke free from Jade would she survive the fall of this height? If she didn't would the impact of whatever they hit kill her? One of the bulldogs sharply veered as some turbulence sent it into a spiral downwards. It slammed into the forest below, and exploded. Draining her aura further, Jade split off another clone from the first that morphed its way through the hull, and into the pilot's seat. The new clone grabbed the flight stick, and tried to steady the bulldog. The Neuanfang disappeared into the distance as they picked up more speed, and Jade felt the fleeting feeling of Dia's semblance finally leave her. Suddenly, one of the bulldogs hit some turbulence, and glanced the side of the bulldog Jade, and Mimi were on that sent it into a spiral. Mimi dug her claws into the hull, and the driving clone desperately tried to regain control of the V-TOL. More bulldogs split off, and crashed into the forest, or mountains below. The clone desperately tried to regain control, but the bulldog just kept spinning. They were losing altitude fast, and were headed straight for one of the mountains. The driving clone dematerialized to let what little aura Jade had left last a little longer in an attempt to cushion the impact. Mimi saw the mountain, too, and braced herself as the bulldog slammed nose first into it.


	41. One of Use Will Be Forgotten

_This…certainly brings back memories…_ Mimi was laying on her stomach on a cold, stone floor. Her right arm was bent the wrong way, as well as her left ankle, and there was a shard of metal jutting out of her right shin. Most of her ribs were probably broken if the sharp pains in her chest were anything to go by. Large cuts also scarred her body from the fight, and impact. _Speaking of…_ Turning her head, Mimi looked up. The bulldog had, indeed, crashed into the mountain, but it appears that there was a cave system near the surface that the impact threw her into. The mangled corpse of the bulldog still hung precariously in the newly made hole in the cave's ceiling above her. Orange light poured in from the hole indicating it was either sunset, or sunrise. Mimi looked back at her wounds, and started to grow worried. _They aren't healing?...Wait…_ Sniffing the air affirmed her suspicions; the ambient negative emotions here were thin causing her body to use what little there is to sustain her hunger. But, if she stayed here long enough she would consume more emotions than her environment was producing. _If I stay here I'll starve…_ Mimi tried to prop herself up on her good arm, but collapsed as her head was still spinning. _Shit…_ As she collected her senses, a new scent wafted into Mimi's nose. The smell of iron. _My blood?_ Smelling some of the cuts on her arms held the scent of blood, but the one in the air was different. _Wait…_ Lifting her head, Mimi looked around the cave for the source of the smell. A few feet away from Mimi, lying on her back in a pool of her own blood, and with a large, metal shard from the bulldog protruding from her chest, was Jade. And, surprisingly, she was awake.

"Ah…morning…" She slowly turned her head to look at Mimi. "Or…is it evening…now...?" None of her limbs were moving. "It's gotten…really hard to te-" She was interrupted as she started coughing up fresh blood. "…Ow…" When she calmed down there was blood staining her mouth, and chin. Mimi pushed through the pain, and crawled with her one good arm over to Jade. When Mimi drew close Jade spoke, "Left…front pocket…" Mimi tilted her head, confused, but plopped down next to Jade, and dug into her pocket. She pulled out a strange looking device that was a small, metal rectangle with what seemed to be a screen on one side that took up half the rectangle along with a keyboard taking up the other half. "Top button…password's…Glagust…" Being this close, Mimi could fully tell one of her lungs had collapsed, and her breathing sounded wet. Mimi pressed the button at the 'top' of the rectangle, and the screen lit up. When it asked for a password Mimi typed in 'Glagust' which caused it to flicker to a different screen. _What kind of technology is this?_ Mimi stared blankly at the screen. Jade let out what was probably meant to be a sigh, "Type…Notes…then hit…the arrow button…" Following her instructions led the device to open something that made the screen pure white with a flashing black bar in the upper left corner. _Oh!_ Mimi began hitting keys, and found that they were appearing on the screen. _Now I get it._

Mimi typed, then a robotic voice suddenly began reading out what she had just typed, " _What is this?_ "

"They called it…a scroll…I think…" _Oh…right…_

" _Try not to speak too much._ "

Jade slowly shook her head, "I'd rather not…sit in silence…Even if it's…just me talking…" For what it was worth, Mimi gave it to Jade for being as calm as she was in this situation. Her emotions were completely under control. "How bad…is it…?" Mimi turned to the shard sticking out of Jade's chest. It was at least four feet long, and was embedded into the stone impaling Jade to the floor; trapping her. The shard was protruding from the right side of her chest missing her heart by, what Mimi guessed, was mere inches. Aside from that, her body was covered in cuts, and bruises from her aura not being able to take the impact, and subsequent fall into the cave.

" _I'm not sure you'll make it._ "

Jade rolled her head back to facing the ceiling, "Ah…Damn…" _That was rather…matter-of-fact._

" _You're much more relaxed than I would have guessed._ "

"I mean…isn't this…normal?" _What?_ Mimi was taken aback by this. Jade felt her confusion, and went on. "Huntsmen…giving their lives…fighting Grimm?" Her stare was vacant, but Mimi started smelling a familiar emotion begin welling up within Jade. "I did…what huntsman…dream of doing." Jade's body began to shake. "I did…I did…" She was choking on her words as tears began flowing down her face. "Everything I was…supposed to do…" She looked back at Mimi with eyes pleading for some kind of reassurement. "Right?" Mimi gave a sorrowful sigh, and used her good arm to softly stroke Jade's hair out of her face. Mimi's face said it all: _How is this normal?_ More tears flowed from Jade. "But…But…" She started hyperventilating, and Mimi placed her hand on Jade's mouth to stop her, and force her to breath. Jade's body eventually calmed down, but Mimi still saw the despair radiating from her. After a few minutes of silence Mimi took her hand off Jade's mouth. "I'm pathetic…aren't I?" Mimi started to type, but Jade cut her off. "Even knowing…I'd be fighting Grimm…Knowing the danger…I still wanted to be…like them…"

" _Glagust?_ "

Jade nodded, "Not just him…though…The instructors…The headmaster…The old king…The stories they told us…The ones I read...I wanted my own place…beside them…in history…" Mimi looked down at her clawed hand. "I don't blame you…" Mimi turned back to Jade, completely confused.

" _But, I'm the reason you're here._ "

"I should have known…you meeting Shiro…would go badly…You said as much…when we hung out…that one time…" _Still…_ "I thought…maybe…we could've come to…a peaceful solution…or something." She looked back at Mimi. "If you don't mind…why do you hate Shiro?"

" _It's a long story._ "

"I'm not…going anywhere…" _Right…_ Mimi gave a sigh as she looked down at the scroll. _I do owe her an explanation…_

" _Back during the Great War, Shiro, and his squad ambushed, and killed my family._ " Jade's eyes slightly widened.

"Your…family?"

Mimi nodded, " _I used to be a human many years ago._ " Jade's eyes grew wider, but she stayed silent, and listened. " _My family would travel across Vacuo, and bring dust crystals to towns for merchants. During the Great War, Atlas, and Mistral raided us dust runners for our supplies._ " Mimi's fist tightened around the scroll, and she had to stop for a few seconds to collect herself before continuing. " _Shiro was part of the squad that attacked my family. They bombed us with artillery, then came in, and killed anyone left alive with rifles."_

"How did you…make it?"

" _I was hidden under some debris, and didn't move. I watched them execute my mother in front of me._ " Again, Mimi had to stop to collect herself. Jade continued to listen intently. " _I spent the rest of the war hunting them down. Eventually, I caught up to the one who shot my mother…I made sure he no longer blighted Remnant personally._ "

"Which…led you here…after the war ended." Mimi nodded. "But…how did you…" She trailed off as her eyes looked over Mimi's body. _Right…that part…_

" _After Shiro, and his squad left I crawled out of the debris, and was taken by a centaur Grimm._ " Jade tilted her head, but said nothing. " _Centaurs were…different; even for the creatures of Grimm. They built a society on the deaths of slaves. Of us._ " Mimi's mind was starting to lose itself from her wounds, and growing hunger. Along the wall behind Jade sat Chris all bundled up in her mix-matched clothes. Her expression was somber. " _I only managed to escape thanks to my semblance._ "

Jade's face lit up with understanding, "Mimicry."

Mimi nodded, " _I used it to fashion a tool that killed one of the centaurs. But, by then, my body was too weak, and was dying. I was so hungry I even ate the centaur._ "

"You…ate it…?"

" _I guess my semblance, somehow, reacted with the Grimm's flesh as I ate it. It eventually covered me. I could stand. I could move. And, I could fight, again._ " A soft smile played across Chris' face. " _I broke free from them. Which is when I started hunting Shiro's squad._ "

"I…see…" Jade's eyes were getting heavy.

" _Get some sleep, Jade._ " Mimi softly stroked Jade's head until she was certain Jade had passed out. The scroll's screen went dark after a few minutes, and wouldn't turn on again. Mimi tossed it aside as it was out of power, and no longer of use. She clenched her fist in frustration. She couldn't leave, and she knew what was making the smell of iron. The sw **eet, savory, delicious smell.** Mimi forced herself to crawl away from Jade. Every inch she dragged herself away her body would scream at her to go back. She **had** to go back. She wouldn't go back. _But...I'm so…_ _ **hungry.**_


	42. The Other One's Wrong

Moonlight poured in from the hole in the ceiling as it was, probably, passed midnight outside. The bulldog, which still hung from its wedged spot in the hole, cast eerie shadows along the floor. All the fires had died down with only a few small ones smoldering their last embers away. A low growl occasionally, softly echoed along the walls much to Mimi's dismay. At first it was only every few minutes, but now her stomach growled with such intensity every few seconds. The scent of Jade's blood hanging in the air didn't help things. She couldn't escape the thoughts entering her mind. _**Come oooon! I'm sooo hungry!**_ Her claws scrapped along the stone floor as Mimi tried to drive the thoughts away. _**I could get away with it. No one would know.**_ Drool was overflowing from her mouth at the desire for food. Food that was just a few feet away from her. _**I'm a Grimm! Grimm eat people! Right?**_ While there were always stories of Grimm eating the flesh of people, from her personal experiences they seemed more interested with the emotions people had rather than their meat. But, still, every passing second made human flesh seem more, and more appealing as her hunger continued to grow. _**She's going to die, anyway.**_ Mimi's head turned to face Jade; it looked like she was still knocked out. Not dead, yet, as she saw Jade's chest occasionally rise, and fall. _**Come o-**_ _NO!_ Mimi's one good arm lifted from the ground, and turned Mimi over onto her stomach. _Eating the creatures of Grimm is one thing, but another person?!_ Chris sat silently along the wall with a neutral expression as she continued to watch. _I can't cross that li-_ _ **Liar!**_ Mimi's arm surged forward, and began dragging her closer to Jade. _**It's not that I can't, but that I don't want to! Even though I'm just another Grimm, now, I still want to keep some sense of my worthless humanity!**_ A trail of drool was left in her wake as Mimi dragged herself along the cave floor. _My humanity isn't worthless!_ Her body paused in its advance for a couple seconds, but quickly resumed. _**Who am I kidding of course it is. All my humanity's ever done is hinder me! It caused me to falter while fighting Jade, and her team. It let Shiro get away when he was right in front of me. It even cost Chris her life!**_ Chris' gaze fell to the floor, and her face became obscured in shadow. _**If I hadn't given her back her hope, if I had just been a good little slave like Scarred wanted, she wouldn't be dead!**_ _But, I don't truly know that!_ Mimi was less than three feet away from Jade. _I'm not! I'm not just some mindless beast that eats everything in its way!_ Her mind screamed, but her body finally reached Jade. The smell of her blood flooded Mimi's senses, and a wave of ecstasy washed over her at the thought of what it tasted like. _**Even my body knows what I really want.**_ _My body doesn't know shit!_ Her body climbed its way on top of Jade. Using her good arm to lift herself up, Mimi looked down at the dying huntsman. Drool was pouring out of her mouth, and onto Jade's neck as Mimi's body began lowering itself down. _NO!_ Her body seized. With every fiber of her being Mimi resisted her body's urge. _**It huuuurts!**_ Hunger pains were shooting through her, and her arm began to, again, slowly lower. _NO! I CAN'T! I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!_ Tears poured from her face, and she was making a pathetic wailing noise as she tried, desperately, to stop herself. Her mouth was an inch away from Jade's neck. _I DON'T WANNA DO THIS! I WON'T! I WON'T! I WON'T!_ She managed to stop her mouth from closing, but even that was getting harder, and harder to do. _**PLEASE!**_ _NO!_ Suddenly, Mimi's body froze as it felt a soft hand begin stroking her hair. This pause gave Mimi back some more control over her body, she raised herself up, and looked down to see Jade looking up at her with a gentle smile on her face.

"I guess…we're both…kinda pathetic…eh?" Mimi could only pathetically moan at her in response. Fear was coming from Jade, but not as much as one might think given the situation. It was an almost calm fear. "Does this mean…we're really…friends?...You're…trying so hard…not to...because of… me…" Mimi had no idea what to do, or how to respond to Jade's words. Jade merely gave a soft snort, "Here…" Jade's other hand shakily rose, and pressed something against the backside of Mimi's one good hand. "I want…you to have…this…" Mimi looked at the object, and saw that it was a keychain of a chibi styled ursa Grimm. _W…What…?_ "It's…one of my…favorites…" Jade's voice was getting weaker, and quieter. "It took me…a year's worth…of cereal boxes…to win…that…Could you…take it…with you…to…remember me…?" If Mimi wasn't already crying she would have started. She sniffed, and nodded. "Thanks…And…" _Wait…_ Mimi tasted an emotion she knew all too well. "Slowly…dying here…really hurts…So…" _Please, don't say it._ "If it's…you…" _DON'T SA-_ "Then…it's okay…you can...eat me..." Mimi's body immediately went back down, and her teeth pressed against Jade's neck. But, Mimi managed to desperately resist, and didn't close her mouth. Jade just kept gently stroking Mimi's hair. "This is…the only way…one of us…can make…it…" Mimi's tongue brushed against Jade's neck which sent a shiver down Mimi's spine at the absolutely **delicious** taste. "You ate...that Grimm...and...regained your strength...So...if you...eat me...then you'll live...It's…okay…" _IT'S NOT OKAY!_ "I don't think…this makes you…a monster…" Again, Mimi's body froze. _…What?_ "I can tell…you don't…wanna do…this…But…it's the…only way…to…survive…" Mimi shut her eyes, and even more tears flowed down her face. "That…hesitation…to do something…you don't want to...when you have…no choice…is very…human…of you…" Jade's heart slowed, and Mimi softly whimpered. "Just…can you…promise me…something…first…?" Mimi opened her eyes. "My team…Amber…Dia…Ebony…they're…like me…If-…When you meet…them, again…could you…let them live?..." Tears started to flow down Jade's face. "Could you…spare…the innocent…from your…revenge?..." _…Of course…Jade._ Mimi gave a single nod. "Thank you…And…Mimi…" Jade's hand softly fell away from Mimi's hair, and rested on the ground. "I'm glad…I got…to meet…you."

* * *

Crickets softly sang in the night as a soft breeze was picking up atop the small cliff they sat on. Then, abruptly, the crickets stopped as the sound of groaning, screeching metal echoed throughout the forest followed by a loud crash. Silence took hold of the forest below. Slowly, one by one, the crickets resumed their song. A song that softened at the approach of footsteps. Footsteps that stopped at the edge of the cliff overlooking the forest. Mimi let the breeze wash over her as she breathed in the cool night air. Her body had, once more, changed, although only slightly. While her muscles, and bone plates remained, her overall size was more reminiscent of her younger, fifteen year old self. That said, her muscles had developed further, the designs on her bone plates became more intricate, and her hair returned to a shoulder length. Tears ran down her face that washed through the blood that stained her mouth. The relief of escape she felt was only matched by the disgust for herself. She looked down at her waist, and materialized a small loop on the right side of her belt. Unclenching her fist, Mimi hooked the ursa keychain to the new loop. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath while wiping away the blood. _Don't worry, Jade._ Her eyes opened pulsing with a crimson energy. Finding a path down the cliff, Mimi descended into the forest. _Shiro, Frost,_ _Atlas, Mistral, and all those who aid them will answer in blood._ _For the both of us._ As she marched her hair flowed in the wind, the ursa keychain softly swayed from her hips, and the beady red eyes of the small nevermore that had finally found her watched intently from the treeline.

* * *

Volume 3 complete. I think this was my favorite one to write, so far. As per usual I'll be taking a week break before I start releasing the next volume.

Volume 4 begins October 5th with Chapter 43: Price of Our Failures.


	43. Price of Our Failures

"I don't think we need remind you, Headmaster, who gave you your position?" A large screen adorned an entire wall in Ozpin's office at Beacon. Currently, the screen was showing three rather displeased looking individuals in suits as they looked down at Ozpin who was sitting in his chair with his fingers interlocked, and resting his chin on his thumbs. Two cups of coffee sat steaming on his desk.

"I remember quite clearly."

"It takes more than simple heroic antics to attain the position of headmaster at **our** academy." Ozpin silently grit his teeth. "We gave you what others would dream of having, and how do you return our generosity; the legacy of the last king of Vale?"

The man on the left sharply rose from his chair, "With an international incident that claimed the lives of not only Atlas military personnel, but of a first year huntress at the very academy **you** were given!?" The room fell silent as everyone waited for the infuriated man to calm himself a bit. He puffed out his rather round cheeks, adjusted his tie, and retook his seat.

The woman on the right spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "We've already spent the past seven hours on the phone with various Atlas representatives trying to stop a second great war." Her gaze was cold as she looked at Oz. "What would your predecessor, the last king of Vale, think if he saw you, now?" Oz could help but slip a soft chuckle.

The man in the middle raised an eyebrow, "Do you find this funny, Headmaster?"

"No, not funny per-say." Oz straightened his back, and rested his hands on the chair's arms. "It's just that, I've said I'd take care of the things I have control over; that was part of our agreement for the field trip." He slowly rose from his chair. "Disciplinary action is being taken for Shiro's behavior that led to this incident. The crew of the Neuanfang is all in unanimous agreement that Vale was not the cause of the deaths. On the contrary, many say that without the help of team JADE there would have been a lot more dead. And, the remaining members of team JADE have been brought back to better determine the actions I will be taking going forward by hearing what happened from those who were actually there instead of frantic politicians on the phone looking for an excuse to exercise their reach." The man on the left looked like he was about to explode, again, but a raised hand from the one in the middle quelled him, for now.

"See to it the situation is rectified." And, with that, the screen went dark. Ozpin fell back in his chair, and gave a long sigh. He hated dealing with the politics of today; his words held so much more weight as a king.

"Well," Oz rubbed his face, "Time to get started." He let his hands drop back to the chair's arms, and faced the door. "Shiro." The word was said in as neutral a tone as he could manage. The door to his office opened, and Shiro entered. "I take it you heard?"

"Yes, headmaster, I did." Shiro's shoulders were slumped, and bags hung from under his eyes.

"How are the children holding up?" Oz rose, and handed one of the cups of coffee to Shiro, who took it, but only stared at it with a tired gaze.

"Dia, and Ebony are managing. It's Amber I'm concerned with." He looked up from his coffee to Oz. "She insists we organize a search party for Jade." Ozpin's hand tightened around his cane.

"I see." The two stood in silence for a few minutes looking out the window wall at the city; the only sounds being the clockwork machinery of the office. Shiro eventually started drinking the coffee. Without turning to face Shiro, Ozpin asked, "What happened?"

"A myth happened." Oz said nothing, and waited for Shiro to continue. Shiro gave a heavy sigh, "After the war a few of the guys who came back from the front in Vacuo started saying some rather insane things. How they were driven back by a single combatant. How the forces of Vacuo were receiving the aid from some kind of demon." He scoffed. "No one ever believed them, and they were shipped back after their leave time was up. But…, then came the battle at the dust mines. And, the boys who came back from that…well…some of them are in asylums now because of the things they were saying." Shiro's hand started the tighten around his cup. "That the combatant from Vacuo was actually a humanoid Grimm. A Grimm who killed my old squad mate, Fox. A Grimm who fought alongside the people of Vacuo, and turned the tide of their front to a victory." Shiro wasn't looking at the city anymore; he wasn't looking anywhere as he had a thousand yard stare. "One that shrugged off rifle fire, and tank rounds. That stood up to Fox in single combat." He licked his lips apprehensively, his voice became lower, and hushed. "I didn't believe them. Who in their right minds would? A Grimm fighting alongside people?" Ozpin remained silent, but his expression fell. When Shiro spoke again it was only a whisper, "I should have believed them. And, now…It cost one of my students her life."

"It wasn't your fault."

"No, it is." A hint of anger tainted his voice. "The people I talked to said the Vacuo Grimm specifically targeted Fox; it almost seemed to have a vendetta against him." He turned to face Ozpin. "That Grimm could have killed anyone on that ship, but it didn't. It could have killed Jade, and a number of civilians when it came to Vale, but it didn't. It could have stayed in Vacuo an entire continent away. But. It. Didn't. It traveled across Vacuo, through Vale, and snuck onto an Atlas airship just to get a shot at me. It pushed Jade aside when it had a chance at me." Shiro's voice was becoming unstable, and he started gesturing wildly. "There were plenty of people in its path it could have taken out, but it ignored them just so it could get to me faster! Is this a punishment?" Oz broke his gaze with the city to look at Shiro.

"Shiro-"

"A punishment for what we did to Vacuo in those early years of the war?!"

"I highly doubt-"

"We slaughtered them, Oz!" Shiro shouted causing Oz to flinch. "In those early years we went about, and just took what we wanted! We killed who we wanted! 'Disrupt their supplies by any means.' That was the order we were given, and we did it!" Tears started to fall down his face as his voice cracked, and his gestures became more grandiose. "We did it…to a fucking 't'." Ozpin remained silent while carefully choosing his next words.

"Then, all the more reason for you to remain here where it's safe, and for us to plan our next move."

"Safe…?" Shiro seemed baffled. "That thing eats bullets. It shrugs off tank rounds! No. The best thing for me to do would be to leave the academy so that it doesn't come here, and bring more harm to the students." Shiro turned to leave.

"And, what do you think will happen when you step outside the gates? Hm?" Ozpin's stern tone caused Shiro to pause. "Right now we're in the middle of an international incident. If you go off on your own then Atlas can use that as a sign of guilt on Vale's part giving them the excuse to invade. Not to mention the Neuanfang is docked in our harbor awaiting orders." Shiro turned to Oz with a solemn expression. "They'll delay giving those orders as long as they can to keep that airship in Vale as a first wave right in the heart of our kingdom, should it come to that. So please…" He walked over, and placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Have faith, and make the right choice."

* * *

Mimi wasn't quite sure where she was walking. All the trees looked the same, and she hadn't hit a road yet, or a landmark. Still, she wasn't deterred. The ursa key-chain softly bounced from its spot on her belt as she continued to walk. She'd met a few Grimm; mainly beowolves, and the occasional ursa family; though they seemed to be giving her a wide berth. The sun was starting to set, so Mimi stopped at a nearby stream to collect her thoughts. Currently, she'd just been mindlessly wandering hoping to find some way of telling where she was. _From what I can remember, I didn't see any villages from the top of the cliff. But, this region is so mountainous I doubt I could see a village if it was a single mile off._ Mimi grunted to herself as she washed her face with the cool stream water. Recently, she'd found that her sense of temperature was coming back to her. _Ever since Jade…_ She looked at her clawed, armored hand. _Just what am I, now._

"Why, a beautiful creature of Remnant." Mimi shot to her feet, and spun around as she heard a voice. But, there wasn't anyone there, and there weren't any scents of people nearby. _Who the-_ As she scanned the tree line a rather strange looking Grimm emerged from the forest. It looked like a floating, dark red orb that had teeth, and long tentacles that hung lazily down that each ended in a sharp claw. The floating orb floated closer, and Mimi took a step back preparing herself for a fight. Stopping a few feet away Mimi could see that the orb was actually like a glass ball, and had small clouds inside it. And, to her surprise, the clouds parted to reveal the upper half of a person. Or, at least Mimi thought it was a person; they looked far to pale to be a normal human, or faunas. The person smiled at Mimi, and spoke once more in a calm, almost motherly voice, "Greetings, Mimic. I've been keeping my eye on you for quite some time." Mimi narrowed her eyes, but relaxed slightly as the orb seemed to only want to talk. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Salem. And, I believe we can help each other."


	44. Wicked Witch of the Grimm

_Help each other?_ Mimi raised an eyebrow, which was unfortunately covered by her mask. _How could some orb Grimm possibly be useful to me?_

The woman, Salem, chuckled, "This seer is merely a messenger. I can assure you I am far more than 'some orb'." _Ah, I-…wait._ Mimi took a step back in surprise.

 _You can hear my thoughts?_

Again, Salem chuckled, "No, not even I have the power to read minds; I'm just listening to your voice."

 _My…voice?_ Mimi tilted her head in confusion. _But, I'm not talking._

"I see," Salem said to herself, and the seer did a once over of Mimi, "He was right when he told me you were something else." Mimi decided to let that go for now. "More to the point; yes, you aren't talking like a human would. The creatures of Grimm are denied a true voice; something kept exclusive for mankind. But, you are still speaking in a way only the creatures of Grimm can; via a special aura only they give off."

 _Aura?_ Mimi looked over herself, but didn't see anything. _I'm emitting an aura?_

Salem kept an amused smile on her face as she explained, "It's not a physical thing that can be simply viewed with the eyes. But, rather, this aura could be considered a false voice, and a voice cannot be seen, but heard. All you have to do is listen." Mimi relaxed more as there was something about Salem that…calmed her. She wanted to **trust everything to her**. She quickly shook her head as she felt like passing out for a second there, but managed to stay awake.

 _If Grimm speak through this aura why haven't I heard other Grimm's voices?_

Mimi swore a hint of sadness flashed across Salem's face for the briefest of seconds, "There are two reasons for that. The first, why don't adults understand the voices of infants? Language, through a true voice, or a false one, must be learned, and practiced. Even then only a select few are smart enough to truly grasp, and use their voice as they normally have no need to talk. Which goes into the second reason; have you ever tried listening for another creature of Grimm's voice?" An old memory suddenly shot to the surface of her mind. Back on the farm when she faced Scarred in her savage state she had heard the word 'Mimic' be spoken. She didn't speak that word. "Ahh, perhaps you have heard another speak?"

 _Scarred._ Mimi cast her gaze downwards as she focused more on that memory. _He spoke a single word to me. Mimic._

"Scarred?" This time Salem was the one to tilt their head to the side, though she held a curious expression on her face.

 _A centaur Grimm from Vacuo during the beginning of the Great War._ Mimi wasn't sure why she was talking openly about her past with this…person? Something insider her just wanted to **trust Salem fully**. _He was my…'caretaker' I guess would be a word that could be used for him while I was his prisoner._

"I see…Strange," Salem rubbed her chin deep in thought, "I didn't think the centaurs took other creatures of Grimm as prisoners."

 _Well…_ **Mimi trusted her completely to continue.** _I wasn't always a Grimm._ Salem stopped rubbing her chin, and looked at Mimi. _Before all this I was called Mimi. A human girl on a dust runner caravan with my family._ The two remained in silence for a few seconds before Salem did something that caught Mimi off guard; she started laughing.

"Oh! Oh my pour dear." Finally controlling herself she looked at Mimi with a sad, yet still motherly expression. "You've been doing all this because of your own misunderstanding?"

 _Mis…understaning?_ Mimi couldn't possibly comprehend what Salem meant.

"You truly think you're her? The one whose corpse you cling to?" Mimi took another step back, and her eyes opened wide.

 _Corpse?_ She wasn't sure what to say. _I-I'm not a corpse. And, I don't think I'm Mimi; I AM Mimi!_

Salem's expression remained the same as she continued, "My dear mimic; look at yourself. You are, without a shadow of a doubt, a creature of Grimm. One who mimics those it interacts with, yes, but not a human turned Grimm. Doesn't that sound insane, and impossible?"

 _B-B-But,_ panic was seeping into Mimi, _I'm a Grimm, now, but I was a human! Yes it's crazy, but I remember it! My life before becoming this thing! My friends! My family!_

"The friends, and family of that girl, Mimi, whose corpse you're using as a shape for your vassal." Mimi continued to stare in disbelief at Salem, who continued, "Doesn't it seem strange to you? If human Grimm was possible why haven't there been more cases of it? Even that name, Mimi, isn't it a bit too close to the word 'mimic'?" Salem's words **made complete sense.** "While there definitely was a young girl who was taken by the centaurs, that corpse you cling to is proof enough, she was just some girl. Mimi…is a name you made up for her."

 _Why do you keep saying corpse?!_ Even though her words were coming from her mind her voice still shook with unease.

"Humans require specific things in order to survive, do they not?" One of the seer's tentacles gingerly lifted up, and tapped Mimi in the middle of the chest. "Food, water, and sleep. Humans can't survive off the emotions in the air as the creatures of Grimm can. And, given your age, there is no physically possible way for a human to have survived for almost thirty years without those necessities." Mimi lifted her hands, and stared at her arms. They looked healthy on the surface, but underneath…

 _No…_ **Still she refused the truth.** _No. I know what I am; who I was!_

A bemused expression crossed Salem's face, "My dear mimic, those memories you hold are from that girl you cling too; they are not yours. Come." Suddenly, that tired feeling was back, and seemed to be getting stronger. "You don't need to keep fighting the truth of what you are. Accept it, and move on." With every **truthful word spoken Mimi felt more, and more tired.** Mimi's eyes fluttered a few times as her eyelids were getting heavier, and heavier. She took a step forward. "Now, come with me, and we can both strike against those who've wronged us." Mimi desperately wanted to shut her eyes. To **accept the truth of Salem's words.** She took another stumbling step, and felt something brush against her hip. The ursa keychain softly dangled from her belt.

* * *

"That…hesitation…to do…something…when you have…no choice…is very…human…of you…" … _human…_

* * *

"Also, you can take off your robe, here. We've the place to ourselves for the day, and you're among friends." _…friends…_

* * *

"I've never kept a secret from anyone under my command, and since pretty much everyone saw you yesterday I figured it was only right they know about who you wer-… who you are. It was a unanimous decision to let you come along." _…who I am._

* * *

"There's so much your father, and I want you to see. This world of ours…is a beautiful place. It's filled with wonders you could only dream of as if straight out of one of those fairy tales I read to you when you were younger. People whose lives you will help shape, and who will shape yours in turn. There's danger, too, of course. You know that now more than anyone. But...never forget how beautiful it all is. The places you'll go. The people you'll meet. The things you'll see, and do. And, I'll always be here for you…When you wake up."

* * *

 _No!_ Mimi's foot came down hard, and she stopped moving forward. Salem looked genuinely surprised. _My name is Mimi Valus._ Mimi stared into the seer at Salem as she spoke with newfound vigor, and a killer's gaze. _I know who, and what I am._ Her right hand gently touched the ursa keychain. _Your_ _ **words**_ _won't take that from me._ The two stared at each other for minutes in silence. Then, a smile played on Salem's lips.

"Truly fascinating." She closed her eyes, and gave a chuckle. "It seems I was the one who was under a misunderstanding." She opened her eyes, and continued, "My apologies, Mimi Valus. Perhaps you're truly what you say you are. After all, that willpower of yours is most certainly human. Remnant is a world of mysteries, myths, and legends after all. What's one more anomaly to the mix?" She gave a half-hearted sigh. "You'll have to forgive my rudeness; I'm not used to speaking with creatures of Grimm that know more than a few basic words. Let alone ones that were once human."

 _So long as we're clear._ Mimi relaxed her stance again, and didn't feel that strange tiredness returning. _That feeling I felt just now…Your doing?_

"Indeed. I have the ability to…suggest things to the creatures of Grimm. Even the strongest willed Grimm usually comply with them. But, you are different, so I will approach you as such." A neutral smile played across Salem's face. "I will cut right to business, then. I would like to employ your services; you help me get what I want, and I assist you in your crusade for revenge. We both benefit."

Mimi's eyes narrowed. _And, what is it you want my help with?_

A wickedness flashed in Salem's eyes, "Something you'll probably end up doing on your own, but I want guaranteed. I want you to help me kill the headmaster of Beacon Academy."


	45. I Hate Goodbyes

Overcast clouds cast a gloom over Beacon academy that all the students, and staff felt. None felt it more, though, than the occupants of dorm room 107; the remnants of team JADE. Ebony sat on his bed while absentmindedly polishing his shield as he held a vacant stare. Dia was reading a book on the history of the Creatures of Grimm while lazily sitting in a chair near his bed which had piles of books on it. Amber was pacing back, and forth across the room occasionally stopping next to her bed, before continuing. One bed, stripped of its sheets, sat silently in the corner. It had been four days since the Neuanfang incident, and the headmaster had given them a week of excused absences to come to terms with what had happened. While it was supposed to be a time of coming to terms, and healing, it was instead filled with tension, and smoldering anger. The team had been silent with the only exceptions being when the headmaster asked them about what happened when they first got back, and a few talks with Shiro. Amber was biting her thumbnail as she paced before coming to a stop in front of the night stand next to the stripped bed. Opening the drawer revealed a small portion of Jade's comic collection that she brought with her to the academy. The comics were just laying in the drawer in no particular order; a 'convenient pile' Jade had called it once. Her teeth bit through the nail. Kneeling down, Amber began arranging the comics into numerical order. Dia glanced over at her, "What are you doing?"

Amber mumbled, "I'm teaching her a lesson.

"Amber," Dia gave a sigh, and looked up from the book.

"She hates it when I mess with her collection." Ebony looked at Amber, before giving a concerned look to Dia.

"Amber."

"And, I hate it when she pulls stupid stunts, so now we'r-"

"She's gone, Amber." Dia spoke in a calm, yet stern voice.

"Shut up!" Amber shot back, and rose from the drawer. Ebony flinched at her outburst. She faced Dia with a look of disbelief, and anger. "We don't know that."

"She was on an out of control ship that crashed into the wilderness."

"She's too stubborn to let that do her in, and you know it."

"It doesn't matter how stubborn she was!" Dia's voice raised slightly as he continued, "No one could survive a crash from the height we were at."

Amber's fist slowly clenched, "Her aura was still active."

"Not even aura can save someone from both a fall of that height, and a creature of Grimm." Amber walked towards Dia. "While I hate to face it: Jade's d-" Dia was cut off as Amber's fist connected with his face. Ebony quickly intervened; grabbing Amber as she sent more punches at Dia.

"Hey! That's enough!" Being physically larger than Amber gave Ebony an edge as he hooked his arms under her shoulders, and lifted her off the ground. She flailed helplessly trying to break free. Dia, for his part, took the punches that managed to land with grace, and his aura negated any permanent damage. He wasn't particularly upset at Amber; truth be told he kind of expected the punch, but he also couldn't continue to sit by, and let her keep lying to herself.

"I know it's not what you want to hear." He rubbed his cheek, and gave a heavy sigh. "Quite frankly, I don't want to hear it, either…" He closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. Amber stopped flailing in Ebony's arms. "But, running from reality won't do us any good, and all the evidence points towards one end." Ebony lowered Amber down to the floor, but kept his arms hooked around her, just in case. Dia looked at Amber with tired eyes. "Jade's dead, Amber." The room fell silent once more.

Then, in little more than a whisper, Amber's voice trembled, "Damn it…" Her body started to tremble, and Ebony went from holding her back to bringing her into a big hug as Amber finally accepted the reality of their situation. "Damn it…" Tears poured down her face as Ebony continued to hold her tightly. He brought her over to her bed, and sat the both of them down. Dia picked up his history book, and finished the last few pages he was reading before tossing the book into the pile on his bed. Every single book Beacon had on the Creatures of Grimm, and none of them mentioned a humanoid Grimm with the ability to copy their fighting techniques. Surely, a Grimm of such power wasn't just ignored throughout history? Was it a new breed of Grimm that just now surfaced? And, what was with its weird connection to Jade, and being able to understand them? Their enemy was a complete mystery aside from one crucial detail: it knew Shiro. More so than that: it wanted Shiro dead. When Dia had originally asked about it Shiro's face had turned white, and he avoided the question.

"He doesn't want us to know." Dia wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, just voicing his thoughts.

But, Ebony responded as he had a hunch what Dia was thinking, "But, why though? Isn't it a bit late to be keeping secrets.

"It's because he doesn't see us as huntsman." Amber had stopped crying, and gently pulled herself out of Ebony's embrace. "We're still just kids to them; to Professor Shiro, and the headmaster, too."

"While not wrong, I think there's a different reason behind it." Dia began pacing as his teammates looked at him expectantly. "He avoided all my questions about that Grimm; the 'mimic' let's call it, for now. Yet, it gunned for him. While it took out Atlas' security forces, the mimic primarily targeted the professor. Even when it was fighting us didn't it seem like it was holding back? Like it was just inconvenienced by us more than anything?" Dia's pace picked up, and he started rubbing his chin. "If it truly has the ability to copy our fighting techniques, and weapons then it should have easily dispatched us to get to Shiro more quickly. It slaughtered the Atlas security, and was more than willing to kill Shiro, but not us. Why?"

Ebony leaned forward, "Maybe it didn't want to kill children?"

"I amused that idea for a while, too, but couldn't think of any way that would make sense for a Grimm. There's also the thing that Jade told us."

"She knew it." Amber said solemnly as her gaze fell, and focused on nothing as her mind also started to race for answers.

"Not just knew; she called the mimic her friend. Remember when Jade came back to the dorms that one day saying she'd made a new friend who helped her stop a robbery at the dust shop? I'm willing to bet that her 'friend' that day was the mimic."

"But," Ebony scratched his head, "Why would it help stop a store robbery?"

Dia licked his lips in apprehension, "That's another thing I just don't get; what's its goal? Can Grimm even have end goals? It obviously wants Shiro dead, but it's also willing to let people live, and even help them out. But, why?" Silence once more took the room as the three were deep in thought. Amber got up from her bed, and walked over to Dia's, and the pile of books that littered it. She shifted through them idly as her mind raced. Then, her hand brushed against a book that gave her pause; it was a book about the behaviors of Grimm during the Great War. She picked it up, and stared at the cover which displayed all four kingdom's flags with a beowolf's mask in the center.

"The war…" Amber said under her breath.

"Hm? What about it?" Ebony cocked his head.

Amber ran her right hand over the cover of the book, "Shiro's from Mistral. It showed no hesitation killing Atlas personnel, and Shiro actually fought in the Great War for Mistral." Her brow furrowed as she expanded her thoughts. "It didn't go all out against us because we weren't its true enemy. It helped with that robbery because it doesn't view those of Vale as its enemy."

"That's…insane." Dia looked to the history book Amber was now holding.

"Maybe…but," her hands tightened around the book, "I don't know."

"Then let's go find out." Ebony got up from the bed, and Dia, and Amber looked at him curiously.

"From where?" Amber put the book down, "Shiro won't tell us anything."

"Shiro won't, but what about the one who hired him? The one who said that if we needed anything his office was open for us?"

"The headmaster."

"Do you think he knows anything?"

"I don't know, but asking is better than sitting in this room any longer doing nothing, and he's one of the brightest minds of our time. At the very least he's the one who personally vouched for Shiro when he was hired so it's a start."

"Alright, let's go." As Ebony, and Dia went for the door, Amber made a detour, and went to her nightstand drawer. From inside she pulled out a gift Jade had given her years ago when they were little. She squeezed it in her hand for a brief moment then attached it to one of the loops in her dress meant for her belt. Leaving the room, Amber quickly caught up to Ebony, and Dia as the beowolf keychain softly dangled from her waist.


	46. Colonialism

_Well…This is certainly a surprise._ After Salem was finished talking, the seer Grimm had led Mimi through the forest for what felt like hours of walking. Without Salem, the seer was silent, and paid Mimi no mind other than an occasional glance back to make sure she was keeping up. Then, they reached a dirt road that cut through the forest, and to something Mimi wasn't expecting. Parked along the side of the road was a carriage hooked to two horses, and a man sitting in the driver's seat in a train conductor's uniform. Mimi's first instinct was to hide, but the seer just floated up to the man who smiled when it approached. He gave a nod to the seer, and hopped off the carriage landing in a bow. _You?!_

"A pleasure to see you again, Miss." The conductor she'd met on the train to Vale was now standing in front of her with the seer Grimm silently floating behind him. "You certainly know how to make headlines; I'll give you that. The whole kingdom's in a buzz about a certain Grimm attack on the Neanfang." He straightened his back, and tilted his cap to cover his face from the sun that pierced the tree line above. "Who'd of thought I'd have the pleasure of escorting a local celebrity?" From his pant pocket the conductor pulled out a small note book, and pencil. "These are for you." Mimi hesitantly took the items.

" _Who exactly are you?_ "

The man kept his smile, "Why, I'm just a humble conductor helping people get to where they need to be. And you," he opened the door on the carriage, and motioned for Mimi to enter, "Have places to go." Mimi looked to the seer, but its crystal ball remained obscured. The horses hooked to the carriage didn't seem distressed by her presence which Mimi thought was strange, but oddly made sense considering everything she was experiencing today. She gave another glance at the conductor, before entering the carriage. The inside wasn't anything special, but it was still rather nice. The wooden interior was nicely painted black, and the seats had really comfortable red cushions. As she sat down Mimi noticed folded up next to her was a yellow robe with scarves to wrap herself with. "Just in case any patrols stop us," the conductor said as he climbed back up into the driver's seat.

" _And, where exactly are we going?_ "

"Where you need to be." _Cryptic, just what I needed more of._ Mimi leaned back into the cushion which felt wonderful after a full day of nonstop walking. Only now that she was sitting, and idly taking in the forest did Mimi realize how tired she truly was; not physically, but mentally. She was exhausted from what had happened the past few days. The gentle vibrations of the carriage as it made its way through the winding dirt roads of Vale's territory only further put Mimi in a dull trance-like state. Some of the trees had just started to turn their leaves from a rich green, to a more yellowish-lime, or browning at the edges as the fall season was fast approaching. A deep sigh escaped her as Mimi felt relaxed. _Funny…I'd forgotten how this felt…_ The carriage rumbled as it went over a wooden bridge over a running creek. Her blinking became slower as she continued to relax. They continued on in silence until the sun was setting. "We'll be stopping at a town just around the bend." _Ugh._ Mimi begrudgingly lifted her head from its resting place, and slowly put on the robe. Looking around, Mimi caught no sight of the seer Grimm. _Probably left._ The town the conductor was talking about was a rather nice looking walled village that was probably the same size as Karsk if Mimi had to guess. Although, the houses seemed odd when compared to other homes Mimi had seen in her travels through Vale from the train from Vacuo. The roofs had a slight curve to them with the corners flaring up when over the edge of the building. Even the clothes the people were wearing looked odd. _Huh, strange._ The conductor brought the carriage to a stop next to a large inn. He tossed an employee that came out to greet them a few coins, and left him to tend to the horses.

As they entered a rather chubby man clasped his hands together, "Welcome! Welcome, to the Hasu, Gardenfell's finest inn. How can we be of service?"

"One room for the night, please." Mimi glared daggers into the back of the conductor's head. "With two beds."

The chubby man laughed, "Of course, sir. Please, follow me." Once at their room, the man gave the conductor the key, bowed, and walked off.

"Such a nice place, Gardenfell." The conductor strolled in, and took a seat on one of the beds. "Did you know this village is not even fifty years old? Yet, it's already grown to such a massive size." He looked out the window that faced the rest of the village, "Truly a marvel if you ask me." Mimi eyed him suspiciously.

" _You seem to know an awful lot about 'just some town around the bend'_ "

"Am I that transparent?" He gave a chuckle.

" _So, what am I 'needed' here for?_ " She raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms as she waited for him to respond.

"Well," he began, and folded his hands on his lap, "You're here to make sure the town doesn't see its fiftieth founding day." His face remained neutral with only a smile on his lips. Mimi blinked a few times unsure if she'd heard him correctly. Slowly, her head tilted to the side. He shrugged. "At least, that's what I hear." Mimi was about to ask from where, but the conductor abruptly stood up. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk. Stay here, and watch the room." _Watch the room?_ Mimi looked around at the lack of luggage in the almost empty room. _Watch it for wha-?_ When she turned back he was already gone, and the door clicked shut. _He's done that to me twice now._ She plopped down onto her bed, and stared at the ceiling. _What did he mean by making sure the village doesn't see its fiftieth founding day?_

"It's exactly what he said." Mimi shot up at the voice, and saw the seer floating in from the window with Salem's figure displayed in the crystal ball.

 _Salem?_ She eyed the seer suspiciously. _I thought I made it clear I don't want to get innocents involved._

"You did," a smile played across Salem's face, "Which is why I had the Conductor bring you to Gardenfell." The seer turned to face the outside. "In order to get at Shiro you need to draw him out. If you start taking out villages Vale will be forced to respond, and Shiro, once it's realized what's causing the attacks, will do everything he can to come for you. Also, doesn't this village seem out of place to you for Vale?"

 _Kind of… What are you getting at?_

"Out of place as if it wasn't from Vale at all. But, rather, from Mistral?" Mimi's eyes widened.

 _Mistral?_ She looked outside. _But, we're in Vale._

"Indeed; the eastern reaches of Vale that Mistral colonized during the beginning of the Great War." Mimi was stunned for a few moments.

 _Colonized?_

Salem nodded, "One of the many sparks of the Great War was that many Mistral citizens crossed the ocean, and started setting up homes, and villages on Vale's eastern most coast. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, people traveling, and setting up homes in other kingdoms, but the people of these new villages claimed Mistral as their parent kingdom; not Vale."

 _Wh…What?_ An anger started to bubble up in Mimi.

"Naturally, since they were Mistral citizens, Mistral sent over its police, and military to keep reign over the land, and Vale out."

 _They stole land?!_ Mimi shot up from her seat.

Salem nodded, "Mistral claimed that since the land was wild, and un-worked that it was free game for any willing to claim it first. Human greed was a major factor in the war's start." Mimi clenched her fist.

 _So then, everyone here…?_

"Is a citizen of Vale." Mimi cocked her head to the side. "After the war those who came here were allowed to keep the land so long as they claimed Vale as their kingdom."

 _But…everyone that died for these lands…_

"Died for naught but a title change on someone's ID card." Salem glanced over at Mimi as her words dripped with poison. "So, have I gotten 'innocent' people involved?" Anger was filling Mimi's mind as the thought of all the people she knew who died during the Great War came to her, and how some of them died trying to get a place like this back only to have it left to those they fought. Her eyes pulsed red as she looked at Salem.

 _Where should I begin?_

* * *

 _A/N: For anyone interested I'm going to be posting Mimi's stats on my profile page, and keeping them up to date as the story progresses. I've thought about making her a page on a fan RWBY OC wiki, but the ones I looked at seem to only really want characters who will be RPed with on their forums, and Mimi's story is far from over. So, I'll be keeping it on my profile for those interested in the various stats, and facts about her, and her abilities._


	47. The Path of Grief

_I should probably have seen this coming…But, I really wish I didn't have to._ Ozpin was sitting behind his desk leaning back in his chair when he heard a knock at the door. And, now, the three remaining members of team JADE were standing along the opposite side of his desk. _This is going to be tricky._

Dia was the first to speak, "Thank you for seeing us, headmaster."

Oz nodded, "Please, Mr. Mund, it's nothing. How have you all been doing the past few days?"

"Coping, sir." Oz looked over the three huntsman. Dia was doing an excellent job keeping his composure, although Oz knew he was just holding it in, or distracting himself with other things. Ebony looked visibly disheartened; when he originally came to Beacon he always stood tall, and proud. Now his shoulders were slightly slumped, and he didn't have that same air about him as before. Then there was Amber. She was tense, and anxious about something. _I'll need to tread carefully lest I make the situation worse._

"I'm glad to hear that. Though, based on your expressions, you didn't come here just to tell me that, did you?" There was a brief moment of hesitation from the three, and Oz did his best to keep a neutral expression with a friendly tone. Finally, Amber was the one to speak up.

"We were wondering if you know anything about the Grimm from the Neuanfang attack, headmaster?" _Great, a mine field._

"I see." Ozpin paused for a few seconds as he thought over his words. "I'll take it a text book answer isn't what you're looking for?"

"It's not in a text book," Dia spoke, and his nerves started to show, "It's not in any book. All the books in the library here never once mention a mimic Grimm." _So, that's what you've been up to._

"We figured," Ebony stepped in, "That with your background as a librarian, and scholar that, maybe, you've heard, or read something about this Grimm?" _Hmm._ Oz took a sip of coffee as he collected his thoughts. _They've already gone through the library…huh…It's a wonder what kids can do when they put their minds to it. Time for a neutral answer._

"Unfortunately, I have to say I've never come across a creature of Grimm capable of mimicry in my studies. The Neuanfang is the first reported incident of such a Grimm's existence, and it has various committees in an uproar on the implications of such a Grimm going unnoticed." He set down his coffee, "Though, if you want my advice as a scholar, I'd wager on it being a new species of Grimm that's surfaced from the aftermath of the Great War. There were many Grimm attacks during those years, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that a new breed of Grimm surfaced from all the negative emotions that plagued Remnant."

"Ah…I see." Dia slowly nodded as he took in what Oz was saying.

"While I know that's not what you probably wanted to hear, I can tell that just by looking at you all, it's the truth. This mimic Grimm is a new force that we know nothing about, and thus should not be taken lightly. Understand?" They knew Oz was trying to get them to promise to leave the mimic alone, and let the adults handle it. _All you have to do i-_

"But, what about professor Shiro?" _…Oh._ Amber raised her head, and looked Ozpin in the eyes with a dangerous fire Oz knew all too well could lead to disaster.

"What about professor Jenkins?" _Keep things cool, and calm._

"The mimic was fixated on him. While it was fighting us we could all tell that it was holding back. It even made attempts to distract us so it could get to Shiro."

"I see. So, you believe that this Grimm somehow has a sort of personal vendetta against professor Jenkins, Miss Solst?" Ozpin folded his hands together, fingers interlinked, and leaned forward in his chair.

"I believe so, headmaster." _I need to steer her away from this._

"Then, if that were the case, wouldn't that make Shiro responsible for Jade's fate?" The room fell silent. Amber's mouth went completely dry, and was left partially open looking for a response. Ozpin took on a more serious tone. "While I can understand your sadness, Miss Solst, for the loss of a friend that line of thinking is dangerous. Has professor Jenkins done anything to warrant such a claim?" Amber stayed silent so Oz continued. "Grief is a terrible thing. It is a powerful emotion that can make us believe, and do things we would never do otherwise. And, using your grief to look for reasons to blame others for disaster is, sadly, a common thing in your situation. However, I will not have you slander professor Jenkins in your minds because of it. Miss Everglen knew the risks of her actions, as well as the risks that come with being a huntsman." Amber finally closed her mouth, and her gaze was cast downward. "She made a choice; a choice that cost her life, but saved her friends." She bit her bottom lip, and her hands clenched into fists. "If you take away anything from our conversation let it be this; don't squander the gifts we're given no matter how much they hurt to accept. Live on. Fulfill your dreams. Keep your head raised high. That is the gift Miss Everglen has given you; a chance for a future." The room was silent as the three took in what Oz had said.

"I'm sorry," Amber said quietly.

Ozpin waived his hand dismissively, "Please, think nothing of it. Dwelling on such sour thoughts will only do harm to oneself. Now then," Oz changed his tone to a lighter, friendlier one, "After the weekend is done I hope to hear of your returns to your studies, and to your continued advance to your futures."

"Of course. Thank you, headmaster." Ebony was much more relaxed, and chipper. Dia also seemed content. Amber, though, still seemed off, but not as tense as before. _Hopefully she'll come around in time._ Oz waited for them to exit his office before letting out a sigh, and leaning back in his chair. _I just hope it's sooner rather than later._ As his gaze lingered on the ceiling of his office he thought back to what Amber had said. _A personal vendetta…_ Ozpin recalled the day of the battle for the dust mines of Vacuo. When he had greeted a company of Vacuo soldiers there was one covered head to toe in a pale yellow robe. A humanoid Grimm. But, it had showed personality, and comradery with the people of Vacuo, so he had let it slide. It even granted his wish at the end of the battle by not just executing the surrendered. Now, all these years later it returns. And, it returns for Shiro's head. Shiro's words also came to his mind; _We slaughtered them…took what we wanted…killed who we wanted…_ Oz turned his gaze back out to the city. Had mankind truly had a hand in creating such a monster? Ozpin didn't know, he had no clue, and that's what worried him most.


	48. For I Am Death

Gardenfell; the first stop on the road to the Mistral colonies along the shore of Vale. The most inland of the towns setup by Mistral citizens during the years prior to the great war, it is the central hub of trade between the colonies, and the rest of Vale. Following the end of the great war saw much growth for Gardenfell as peace was restored to the land, and commerce reopened between the peoples. The king of Vale's merciful decree that the colonies remain in the hands of those who set them up saw much controversy from the citizens of Vale, and much support from the colonists. Though most tensions between the two groups have subsided there still remains those inklings of hate. Those left who remembered. Who **fought**. Mimi walked through the streets during the late afternoon; stalls were bustling, shops crowded, and a general air of joy throughout the town. But, all Mimi saw was exploitation. _They think this is_ _ **their**_ _land…_ A few guards were lazily patrolling; the town hadn't seen any Grimm activity in the last decade which had spawned a complacency from the people. _**A complacency to be exploited.**_ Crime was a minor concern to Gardenfell police, and the village's guard barracks was quiet. Recalling Salem's plan, Mimi walked to the middle of the village square where a magnificent fountain of four women holding up a cup that water poured from stood. She wasn't sure why, but just looking at the statue sent Mimi's nerves on end. _**Filth.**_ Even though she had no idea who they were supposed to be the fountain's very presence was menacing to her. _**Scum. Foul demons of the worst kind.**_ Her instincts were bringing such thoughts to the surface, though Mimi knew not why. So, she climbed in. A few passersby looked at the strange yellow cloaked girl as she wadded her way through the shallow pool heading for the main fountain with cocked eyebrows, and shallow murmurs. Each step brought Mimi more, and more discomfort as she approached the statues. Mimi had only tied her cloak on loosely, and when she passed the waterfall from the cup it caused the cloak to fall away. More people were staring at her trying to get a look at who was in the fountain. A few guards had seen, and were coming over.

"Hey!" one of them called out. There were two guards in total; one had his hands on his hips, and the other was pointing at her. "The fountain is for viewing only, Miss." The rushing water made it hard to see her, but the two knew Mimi was there. "Why don't you come on out?" Mimi looked at the **putrid** faces of the statue. She unclenched her fists, and slammed her hands into the statues base. There was a loud cracking sound as Mimi's claws broke through the stone, and gave her a grip. "HEY! What are you doing?!" More loud cracking could be heard as Mimi tore the statue from its base on the fountain. The water pipes inside screeched, and broke free as the statue was pulled away. Civilians stared in horror as, with the waterfall no longer working, Mimi was totally exposed. "Holy-" Taking a step back, Mimi leveled the statue with the ground, and swung it around like a bat slamming it into the two guards. Their aura's shattered, and the men went flying through the air, before crashing into the side of a building. Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds as people were trying to contemplate what just happened. **So, Mimi gave them a hand.** Throwing the statue to the side it crushed a few stalls, and crashed into a store front. Mimi threw her chest back, and let loose a bloodthirsty cry; the war cry of the centaurs. **The war cry of the mimic.** Panic exploded from the town square. Parents grabbed their children, and ran. Store owners hastily closed their shops, locked the doors, and barred the windows. Thanks to the afternoon rush the streets were congested, which was **perfectly fine** by Mimi. The guards tried to weave their way through the crowd to see what was going on, and regain order. Reaching the square, one of them saw Mimi, and took aim with his bow. However, two arrows soared through the air with the first knocking out the man's aura, and the second piercing his throat. Mimi stood on the raised lip of the fountain holding a demonic bow, and materialized another arrow in her hand. These people…no…these **scum who had stolen from Vale** charged her with spears. _**Pathetic.**_ Mimi let fly more arrows that all found their marks.

Across town at the gate they had entered through, the Conductor was idly tossing dried pine branches onto the floor in the gate house when a few townsfolk who owned horses road passed. He tilted his hat, and followed them with his gaze as they exited the town. Looking up the road, the Conductor saw a few more townsfolk stragglers in carriages rushing to the gate. He picked up a nearby book, and tossed it to the side where it hit a lever. The lever was the lock on the gate's lift mechanism, and the towns gates violently swung shut. Horses neighed in surprise as they abruptly stopped so they wouldn't run into the now closed gate. "Time to make my exit." He stepped over the body of the dead gate guard, and knocked over several lanterns. The wooden building, and dried branches quickly caught flame. As he walked away the Conductor hummed a little tune to himself to the sounds of the now blazing inferno. "Gardenfell is a walled town with only two gates," he spoke to no one, but smiled all the same, "Such poor design."

"It was made as a funnel." The seer floated down, and followed alongside the Conductor. "The less entrances there are, the more concentrated the defenses could be to counter Grimm attacks." Salem was smiling as she watched the town begin to burn through the eyes of the seer. "A shame they never conceived their stone walls would be turned against them, and their home made a prison."

"Well, it's a good thing the prison 'guards' are on their way, then." The Conductor folded his hands behind his back. Gardenfell had been a city of piece for years, and it was now bursting with fear. Grimm began pouring out of the forest in waves, and rushed the only entrance still open to the town. In a matter of minutes Gardenfell had been engulfed in fire, and terror. Mimi had switched to a spear, and was chasing down any guards that tried to run away. As she was about to strike down a guard, a beowolf leapt from a nearby alleyway, and tackled the man. Skidding to a stop, Mimi watched as the beowolf's jaws closed around the man's legs, and the Grimm began flailing him around like a ragdoll. Eventually, the guard let go of his spear, and his body fell completely limp. Watching the Grimm ravage the guard sent **nothing** through Mimi. She didn't feel disgusted. She didn't feel afraid. She didn't feel anything for the man as he was slammed over, and over into the ground. Instead, once he was dead Mimi moved on to the next guard she could find. Sniffing the air, Mimi followed a trail to what looked like a general store. She caught a glimpse of movement in the windows, and the silhouette of weapons. _**You won't hide from me.**_ As she approached the door, two boarbatusk Grimm began following behind her. While not needing the help, Mimi let the two Grimm be, and focused on the store. Deciding to make a bit of an entrance, Mimi dug her claws into the door, and ripped the sliding door out of the wall tossing it aside. The flames had spread quickly, no doubt thanks to some help, and backlit Mimi as she entered. But, when she did, she paused. While what she saw through the window were weapons they were not wielded by guards; they were held by a mother, and her teenage son. The two looked at Mimi with eyes filled with horror, and shakily raised their spears to her. The boarbatusks began creeping forward which caused the mother, and son to take a few steps back until they felt their backs against the wall. Perhaps it was the heat? Perhaps it was the overflowing emotions that filled the air? But, as she was about to leave the two people to their fate, Mimi swore she saw a third person standing between the mother, and son. A third person in a green cloak with tears running down her face. The ursa keychain at her hip was stained with blood. With a flick of her wrist, Mimi spun the spear in around before bringing it to rest behind her back, and her stance was facing out of the store. The mother, and son looked on in confusion, and then shock as the boarbatusks stopped moving. Then, their head fell to the floor, and their bodies dissipated into black smoke. Mimi looked back over her shoulder at them, but the third person was no longer there. She felt a rock in her gut. As she exited the store the seer floated down from the roof having apparently witnessed what had happened. Salem had a bemused face on.

" _No civilian targets._ "

Salem raised an eyebrow, "Are you certain?" The seer began circling her. "They aren't from Vale, you know." Mimi's hand gently touched the ursa keychain at her waist.

" _No civilian targets._ " Her 'voice' was monotone.

Displeasure crossed Salem's face for a moment, but then a glint appeared in her eye, and a sly smile played across her face. "Very well. No civilian targets." Mimi let the look in her eyes slide, and walked down a street towards a group of guards fighting back against a pack of beowolves. "I'll leave them to you." The seer floated away, and the Conductor approached the building. Inside the mother was desperately hugging her son, but quickly let go, and picked up the spear when she heard someone enter. The Conductor quickly put on a face of concern.

"Wait! Please, I'm here to help." Seeing another person brought the woman to tears. The Conductor quickly motioned for them to follow, and held out his hand. "I have a carriage not far from here. If we hurry we can make it!" The mother, and son exchanged a glance, before nodding, and taking the Conductors outstretched hand to freedom.


	49. And, They Shall Know Fear

"And, we're live in five. Four. Three. Two."

"Good evening, Vale, I'm Jordy Lavender, and welcome to the late night report here on the Vale News Network. Census reports are in, and we'll be looking at the most popular baby names of the decade. Also, in case you missed it, we had a chance to talk to the head of Cerulean Nights, Lisa Maroon, about their latest designs which include minor dust infusions in the next line of dresses, and what that means for the world of fashion. But, before that we move to today's headlines whi-…Hold on a moment, folks, I'm getting-…Wh-…How accurate are the reports?...You're certain?...I-…Ahuh…Alright, then…We have breaking news. We've just received reports that the village of Gardenfell has been completely overrun by the creatures of Grimm. These reports are coming in from multiple 'survivors' who fled the village in the early stages of the attack. Our live team is currently in route to the village, escorted by our network's huntsman team, to give us an eyes on of the situation. However, all attempted communication with Gardenfell has been met with silence, though we are still trying. Stay tuned for future developments."

* * *

"You're listening to 101.9 VRB-FM, Vale's top station for your commute in these late hours. I'm your host, Aldric Sky, and am joined by co-host, Steph Night. And, Steph, reading this headline just…well…"

"Breaks your heart?"

"Yes, exactly. For those who aren't tuned into the news lines, and are unaware, the Mistral colony of Gardenfell was…destroyed earlier today by what we're hearing is a massive horde of Grimm…"

"I gotta tell you, Aldric, I heard the VNN report coming in to the station for our late show, and…I still…am trying to fully…contemplate it, you know?"

"I do."

"Like, while the report was going on I saw cars in front of me begin pulling off the road, and the drivers were just staring at their radios in complete shock."

"It's awful."

"Cause, I mean, there've been Grimm attacks before."

"Yeah, we've reported on a few."

"We've reported on a few. But…this one just feels…different. Right?"

"Absolutely, I'm definitely getting…a weird vibe from this whole situation. Like, I don't know how much you were able to catch on the way here?"

"I heard up to when they were about to start interviewing some of the survivors who fled."

"Okay. And, we'll go into that later, but I wanna talk about just the situation for a bit."

"Okay?"

"Like, we've done this before, we know how these reports got, and it's always a sad thing when they happen, but doesn't this feel…rushed?"

"Rushed?"

"Yeah."

"W-…What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, according to the accounts of the survivors everything just happened ALL seemingly at once."

"Okay?"

"As one of the survivors who has been interviewed at the time of this report put it: 'I was walking to the store. In the distance I heard screaming, and a loud crash. I saw people running, and hitching their horses, so I followed suit not really knowing what was going on. We rode out the gate leading to Vale, and when we reached a large hill near the outskirts I turned back, and saw the gate we just left was shut, there were plumes of smoke filling the sky, and the sounds of Grimm echoed in the distance.' This all happened in the span of, about, five to ten minutes."

"Oh my-"

"I want to say that again for our listeners as it's important. This all happened, from peaceful afternoon start to full on Grimm invasion with fires in the sky, in five, or ten minutes."

"That's…"

"How?! How could the ENTIRE colony have fallen? Even if we give it the maximum of ten minutes that still doesn't explain how it got that bad in such a short amount of time."

"It's awful. Completely."

"This is a tragedy on an unprecedented scale!"

* * *

"Greetings, dear fellows, I am the Veiled Truth, and this I am your only real source of news here in the glorious kingdom of Vale. Now, I know I don't usually put up a recording until the weekend, but this is too important to wait for. Now, as many of you probably know by now; the Mistral invasion landing of Gardenfell was completely wiped out earlier today by a Grimm attack. As many of you know I don't hold Mistral's beach heads on our shores in high regards, but I still recognize a terrible thing when I see it. But, what I want to know, fellow enlightened ones, fellow astute viewers, fellow Vale citizens is: why were the gates shut? Huh? It's mentioned right there in the survivor's reports from multiple survivors! But, all the 'major news outlets' do is gloss over it! 'Oh, it's such a tragedy.' 'Oh, our hearts go out to those who lost family, friends, or their lives.' 'Oh, this is such a terrible GRIMM attack.' Now, dear listeners, I've done extensive research on the creatures of Grimm, I'd consider myself a bit of an expert on them; far more than these so called 'journalists' anyway. I've done the research, I've crunched the numbers, I've run the scenarios, and there is NO WAY this was a Grimm attack. That's right. I know what you're thinking, and let me clarify; there were 100% Grimm attacking Gardenfell. I am not denying that. However, what I am saying is; there were more than just Grimm attacking Gardenfell. Ah? Got your attention? I should. Because right here, right now, the proof has arrived that Atlas is trying to ignite another great war with Vale. I told you all the day the Neuanfang came to Vale that we were in trouble, and I was ignored! Tell me then, skeptic, will you still deny the truth with an entire colony dead at your feet? This is obviously a PR stunt where the Neuanfang, which is STILL in Vale I should mention, will deal with these Grimm showing the citizens of Vale that we 'need' them. They're trying to turn us into rebels that will rise up against Vale! Our home! Like many of you I've called Vale my home all my life, and to see such tactics used disgusts me. I am completely, and utterly disgusted. Wake up, Vale!"

* * *

"VNN's Keith Tangerus here live on the scene. We're here on the very hill you heard about earlier tonight from the survivor's tale, and behind me you can see what remains of Gardenfell. Even though the sun's set the smoke is still distinctly visible in the sky above, and a foul smell hangs in the air. Also behind me you can see VNN's very own huntsman team clearing out Grimm that are still lingering in the area to make this place safe enough to cast from. It looks like a few fires are still raging as bright, orange lights can still be seen on the horizon. However I can confirm that the village of Gardenfell is no more. My heart goes out to those affected by this incident as even just standing here humbles me at how much destruction, and death has occurred in the last couple of hours. As our huntsman clear out more of the Grimm we'll try to get a closer look, but right no-. What? You see something on the wall? Zoom in! Zoom in! Holy-…What is that? I don't know if you're seeing this, Jordy, but our cameraman saw something moving atop Gardenfell's walls, and we're looking at what appears to be a humanoid figure. Focus the shot! Focus! Fo-…What in the-?! I-…I don't know what to say…but…This is Keith Tangerus confirming that the mimic Grimm that sent a chill through the kingdom with its sudden existence mere days ago is here! I repeat; the mimic Grimm is here at Gardenfell!"


	50. Footnote in History

_5._ Ozpin finished organizing the papers on his desk into a neat pile off to the side, and out of the way. _4._ He's heard the news; all of Vale has at this point thanks to the technological revolution Atlas brought to the world after the Great War. _3._ There were time when he wished they hadn't as it made keeping things under control, and under wraps much harder with the near instantaneous flow of information. _2._ The day had been going so well, too; it was sunnier than it had been all week, he woke with a spring in his step, his coffee was perfect. Shiro had probably gone home the previous night, and missed the radio broadcast, and he wasn't much of a television watcher. However, today was a new day, it was morning, and all anyone was talking about was Gardenfell. _1._ The doors to Ozpin's office were thrown open as an exasperated Shiro stormed in. "OZ!"

"Shiro, I kno-"

"An entire village, Oz!" Shiro made his way to Ozpin's desk; he was clearly out of breath from running through the school all the way to see Oz. "Gone! Just like that!" and Shiro snapped his fingers. Oz sat back in his chair, and brought his hands together interlocking his fingers together. This would, once again, be a tricky situation.

"Yes, I've read the reports."

"We have to do something!" While Ozpin admired Shiro's willingness to help others there were times he was afraid that it was more of a 'need' to help others; a dangerous trait.

"What would you have me do, Shiro? I'm not exactly in a position to-"

"We have huntsman!" Shiro gestured around them, "This school's been around long enough to produce some quality huntsman. If we send them with backup of the Neuanfang then surely they-"

"You want to send in our own students, previous or current, against a threat we still know too little about?"

"Bu-…" Shiro was trying to search for a comeback.

"'But' nothing. The loss of Gardenfell was a great tragedy, I can see that very clearly, but we shouldn't just jump at the opportunity for retaliation against a foe we still are trying to understand. Attacking the unknown is a surefire road to disaster." Shiro was obviously disheartened, but didn't look like he was going to press the issue further. "Rest assured, though, I do have people looking into the mimic, and the worst case scenarios."

"You mean if it's working with Salem?" There was a long pause.

"That would be a worst case scenario, yes."

"Still, though, couldn't we still use the Neuanfang to at least let the people know we're here for them?"

Ozpin gave a sigh, "Unfortunately, I don't think your message of security will be well received. The Neuanfang would need to travel to Vale's eastern most villages; some who still hold grudges for my decision while king to allow the Mistral citizens to keep the lands they settled. It would most likely only agitate them, and with the increased Grimm activity in the area because of Gardenfell agitating the citizens is the last thing we need to do."

"Right…" Shiro had calmed down now, and caught his breath. While a little disheartened he seemed contempt. "Sorry, Oz, about barging in here."

"Gardenfell was a sudden incident to all of us; it's more than reasonable that emotions would be running high. Remember, I didn't say I'm leaving the mimic Grimm alone, just that I want more than no information on her before I do make a move."

"Ri-…" Shiro abruptly cut himself off, and his face became one of shock. Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Shiro?"

"Her?" Shiro said quietly, "Whoever said the mimic was a female?" _Shit! Compensate!_

"You told me it looked female, remember?"

Shiro slowly shook his head, "It had a feminine build, yeah, but that isn't mentioned anywhere in the reports." A skeptical expression started taking over Shiro's face.

"VNN had a shot of it on Gardenfell's walls, Shiro, it was clear to see."

"The picture quality was terrible, and there was too much smoke to get a clear visual." Shiro took a step back. "And, if that was the case why did you say I told you when your real reason was the TV report?"

"I misspoke."

"Misspoke?!" Shiro looked offended, "In all my years of knowing you, Oz, you've never misspoken a word in your life. Everything is calculated…" He trailed off as his mind was more than likely thinking of something.

"Shiro, listen to m-"

"You know it." The conversation halted.

"That's preposterous how would I-"

"The dust mines," he wasn't really talking to Oz anymore, but more thinking out loud. "You were there that day while still the king, and the soldiers said Vacuo had the mimic fighting alongside them." He looked back to Ozpin with further skepticism. "You knew about it since back then?"

"Look-"

"Answer me!" Shiro slammed his hands down on Ozpin's desk causing Oz to jump a little. There was a dangerous look in Shiro's eye; a look that could snap in a moment. After a few moments of silence Ozpin answered.

"Yes, I knew about the mimic Grimm when I met her in Vacuo." Shiro's body visibly tensed up. "However, at the time-"

"At the time?!" Shiro's outburst cut off Ozpin. "There is no 'at the time' when it comes to the creatures of Grimm! Damned if it was helping Vacuo! Is that why? So it could win the war?"

"No, I left it alone because its involvement, I felt, was only a footnote in what won the war."

"A footnote!? That 'footnote' took on a battalion of trained soldiers! That 'footnote' singlehandedly beat my former squad mate while he was wearing a Squire-45 battle-suit! That 'footnote' just wiped an entire village off the map in a single afternoon! That's not a fucking footnote, Oz!"

"Yes, I realize that now, but even you must understand; after the battle there was so much death, and destruction. If I had turned on the mimic then that would have only lost more good soldiers their lives. Soldiers who, at the time, were cheering for the mimic on her front."

"You let the mimic slide because of some delusional nut jobs from Vacuo?"

"They weren't 'nut jobs'."

"They were fighting alongside a Grimm!"

"There's more to it than that."

"What could be 'more to it'? It's a Grimm! A Grimm that hates the members of my former squad, and is doing everything it can to get at me including teaming up with Salem! How could you just let a threat like that go?"

"I've told you already-"

"You've told me bullshit!" Shiro abruptly lifted himself from the desk, and began briskly walking towards the door.

"Shiro! Where are you going?"

"To clean up your mistake! I'm sorry, but you'll have to find a substitute for my classes."

"Shiro!" It was too late, though, as Shiro had already slammed the door shut on his way out. Ozpin cursed to himself in his head. He currently had very limited authority with the council breathing down his neck. Ozpin also knew Shiro would be able to convince the Neuanfang to go after the mimic. He bit his lip in frustration at his slip-up earlier as he felt that something terrible was now set in motion that could potentially rival Gardenfell.


	51. Lead And They Will Follow

Despite it all, the forest was calm. There was a beautiful breeze flowing its way through the branches of the canopy. Hardly a cloud in the sky, the sun did its best to pierce through, and give much needed light to what few plants grew below the thicker covered areas. Occasionally, a brightly colored leaf would fall to the ground; fall was starting earlier than expected. Mimi didn't mind, on the contrary she was ecstatic to see the forest in such a state. Having grown up knowing only sand made for a dull autumn, and winter seasons. The sound of leaves crunching beneath her feet put a soft smile on her face as Mimi continued walking through the forest. However, she wasn't the only one crunching leaves out here. Giving a glance back to confirm they were still there, Mimi checked on her traveling companions; six beowolves, two ursas, four boarbatusks, and even a fairly large death stalker were steadily keeping pace with her. Originally, when she left the ruins of Gardenfell she was alone as the Conductor was preoccupied, and Salem had pointed her towards the next target. Along her walk these Grimm had either followed her out of the village, or appeared from the forest, and decided to follow her. Mimi already knew why they were following her. _I feel like a mother ursa leading her kids to food._ The irony of having ursas currently following her, too, was not lost on her. Every now, and again one of the Grimm would stare at her for a bit, before looking around at something else. _This is kinda creepy._ The unsettling thing about traveling with Grimm is the oppressive silence since they don't talk. _Or…_ Mimi recalled what Salem had said to her; that it's not that they didn't talk, but that she just wasn't listening. One of the boarbatusks was walking by her side, so she decided to give it a shot. Not really knowing how, Mimi tried to 'extend' her thought out directed at the Grimm. _Whatever that means._

 _Can you hear me?_ Mimi waited, and tried to 'listen' better, but the boarbatusk didn't even flinch, let alone acknowledge it had 'heard' her. Walking backwards in order to face her traveling 'party' Mimi next tried talking with the ursas, and beowolves; they seemed like pack creatures so surely they would be a bit more talkative than a pig, right? The ursas, like the boarbatusk, didn't respond, but one of the beowolves cocked his head to the side at her. _You can hear me! Are you able to talk?_ Again, the beowolf that originally responded cocked his head to the other side with a look of confusion in his eyes. Mimi gave a heavy sigh, and rubbed her temples. _Great. The one beowolf I get to respond has the intelligence of an actual dog._ Suddenly, the image of a tree came into her mind. _Wha-AH_ Mimi's thought was interrupted as she walked backwards directly into a tree. She rubbed the back of her head, and silently cursed in her head, but quickly turned back towards her gathering of Grimm. That image of a tree wasn't one of her thoughts, and it was the exact tree she ran into. The boarbatusks, ursas, and beowolves were quiet, but the death stalker… Mimi approached the large Grimm staring into its many eyes. Its bone plates were chipped with what looked like weapon scars signifying its age, and power. It looked at her inquisitively. _Did you warn me about the tree?_ Again, thoughts came into her mind that weren't hers. They weren't words, but rather images that reflected a feeling one would get as if to convey…

 _ **Affirmation.**_ Mimi's eyes widened.

 _So, you do understand me, too!_

 _ **Affirmation.**_

 _Can you talk normally?_

 _ **Confusion.**_ The death stalker's head slightly cocked to one side. Mimi reflected on what she had asked, and how completely strange it must have sounded to the Grimm. _Right, if anything I'm the one talking weirdly for a Grimm._ Getting herself back on track she reallocated herself to the surroundings, and resumed her walk to the next target in the hopes of drawing out Shiro. Her loneliness, however, was getting to her.

 _So…_ She directed her thoughts at the death stalker, _Know any good travel stories?_

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _Right…You probably don't know what that means._ Mimi thought for a moment before adding, _Like, tales about your past; the things you've done, and seen. Those kinda things._

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _Why would we do that?_

 _ **Affirmation.**_

 _Because, it passes the time, and because it's something travelers do when out together._

 _ **Wanting confirmation.**_

 _Yeah. Like, for me…_ Mimi recounted some of the things she's been through after coming to Vale. At times she wasn't sure if the death stalker was listening as there was no way to read its face, but it would occasionally interject for clarification on some things which solved that mystery. When it came to Jade the death stalker seemed rather confused.

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _Well, I mean, she was just an idealistic kid, and I took away her chance at a future. I just feel that I owe her for that._

 _ **Negative.**_

 _You don't think so?_

 _ **Affirmation.**_

 _Are you even able to comprehend the 'why' of why I want to keep my promise to Jade?_

 _ **Tentative negative.**_

 _Tentative?_

 _ **Affirmation.**_

 _Why only tentative?_ Abstract thoughts began entering her mind; thoughts about a view of the world that was completely alien to Mimi. Through the abstraction of thought images pushed through: fallen men with spears, the seasons passing by in seconds, a sense of isolation. _These are your thoughts…_ Mimi slowed down, and stopped as she comprehended what she was 'seeing' in her mind. _How you see the world._

 _ **Affirmation.**_

 _I…_ Mimi, while she was loath to admit it, had become rather lonely over the years of being away, and only occasionally visiting either Sandra, or Coaltun during those twenty-some years did little to help. But, the death stalker had always been alone. It didn't know what it meant, it couldn't even comprehend what it means to want to keep a promise. Mimi started walking again with a renewed vigor. _Vet._

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _That's your name now. Vet, because you're obviously a veteran of many battles._

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _It's fine if you don't get it, yet. I'm gonna teach you the feeling of having a name._

 _ **Concerned confusion.**_

 _Oh, don't give me that_. _It's not like this will cause you pain, or anything just by giving you a name. Besides, I'm not just gonna call you 'death stalker' all the time; that would get annoying, especially if there's multiple death stalkers around._

 _ **Tentative affirmation.**_

 _Good._ Mimi, Vet, and the rest of their group continued walking until the seer reappeared from the canopy, and Salem's image appeared in its glass ball.

"You've attracted quite the following, it seems," she said with a bemused expression looking over Mimi's party.

Mimi nodded, _Was there a change of plans?_

"Indeed," Salem had an unnerving smile on her face, "It appears all it took was one to get the pieces moving." Mimi's eyes widened with anticipation.

 _You mean…?_

Salem nodded, "The Neuanfang has left Vale's docks, and is making its way east." Mimi's hands clenched into fists. "The best place to ambush it would be near Lakehurst township due north of here."

 _Ambush it?_ Mimi tilted her head in confusion. _How am I supposed to ambush a flying boat?_

Salem merely smiled, "Oh you won't need to worry about that. I've taken care of your ride for you."

 _My…ride?_ Large shadows cast themselves over the clearing where they were, and Mimi looked up. _Oh._ Vet looked from Salem to Mimi, and eventually up.

 _ **Anxious excitement?**_

 _Anxious excitement._


	52. Air Raid

A great shadow loomed over the mountainous terrain as the Neuanfang steadily made its way east. Inside the hangars flight crews hastily ran, and then re-ran checks on their aircrafts. No one wanted a repeat of last time. On the bridge there was a tense calm that hung in the air as Joseph silently looked out the massive view window. Clouds had rolled in making visibility rather poor; though there didn't appear to be any storms forming from them so they proceeded. "Any news?"

One of the crewman manning the radio shook his head, "No news on any newly attacked settlements, sir." Joseph was getting antsy.

"It goes to all the trouble of calling us out just to go back to doing nothing?"

"I don't like it either." Shiro was standing next to Joseph also looking out the view window. "But, it wouldn't go through all the trouble of burning Gardenfell just to ignore what it wants."

"You." Joseph rubbed his chin. Originally, when Shiro had approached him about chasing the mimic Grimm he had refused. But… "It was actually real."

"Aye."

"After all these years," Joseph shook his head, "To think we called those guys crazy when they came back from the front. And, yet, here we are chasing the damned monster across Vale." He gave a heavy sigh.

"We're doing Remnant a service." Shiro's words were laced with venom.

"Shiro," Joseph cautioned, "I can understand you wanting to kill this thing, believe me I'll sleep better at night when this is over, but I'd also prefer it if you calmed down a bit." Shiro gave a disgruntled sight. "You always did suck under pressure."

Shiro snorted, "And, you always sucked at motivation." Both men gave a laugh, and the mood lightened slightly in the bridge. In truth, though, Shiro was still absolutely terrified. He saw firsthand what the mimic was capable of, and the made him hesitant as all the stories from the front only seemed to hint that the mimic was far stronger than it had appeared. Perhaps the stories were just embellished from frightened soldiers? Perhaps, but the fear in his gut when he locked eyes with it was anything but embellished. It was why he wanted the Neuanfang for this mission. While some might consider sending an entire, fully manned airship after a single creature of Grimm a bit excessive, Shiro didn't want to leave anything to chance. He would find the mimic, and rain down hell upon it with the Neuanfangs's bomber squadrans. The Neuanfang did have guns equipped to it, but they were mainly small anti-air batteries with only four larger gun batteries aimed downwards for ground support, and they weren't the most accurate things in the world. It would be a problem if they found the mimic in the midst of another village.

Suddenly, the crewman manning the radar gave a shout, "Captain, we've got bogies to the south-east."

Joseph hastily made his way over to the crewman, and looked over his shoulder at the radar, "How far out?"

The crewman was staring at his console in confusion, "Roughly five minutes before it'll be upon us, but…there's so many?! And, they managed to get this close before we detected them." The radar screen was showing not dots, but a massive blob coming towards them.

"Scramble fighters, and raise the alert level." Joseph barked the orders with calm precision. "Does anyone have visual? Take us above the clouds." The Neuanfang's engines roared as the airship climbed higher into the sky before breaching into a clearing above the cloud cover. Once they were clear, Joseph's jaw hung open in shock, and Shiro was visibly shaking. "What in the…"

"There's gotta be over a hundred of them!?" A crewman shouted as on the horizon was a massive black cloud; comprised of enough nevermores to blot out the sun from below. Shiro quickly rushed to the window, and strained his eyes the best he could to get a better look. It wasn't just nevermores, but other Grimm too that the nevermores were carrying in their talons. There was a larger nevermore than the others at the center of the cloud carrying a curled up death stalker, and on its back was a vaguely humanoid shape. His fist clenched as, even from this distance, their eyes locked.

"Get the gun batteries online!" Joseph recomposed himself, and re-took command. The crew began hurriedly punching in commands to their consoles, and relaying orders through their headsets. "I don't know what they're trying to do, and I don't intend to find out. Blast them all out of the sky!" Hatches along the Neuanfang's hull burst open, and swivel turrets emerged armed with twin-linked flak cannons. The once calm sky shattered as flak rounds echoed like thunder causing the nearby township of Lakehurst to stir from a lazy afternoon. Those who were out in the streets looked up seeing only faint flashes pierce the clouds, and hearing only a rolling thunder that hung above them. The cloud of nevermores weren't deterred by the flak; while they did try to dodge if one got shot down the others didn't seem to care. The smaller nevermores, roughly the size of a truck, that weren't carrying anything shot forward ahead of the main cloud to soak up what flak rounds they could so the lumbering larger nevermores could get closer. The hangers on the Neuanfang began pouring fighters out like a swarm of bees leaving to defend their nest. While the fighters had superior firepower compared to the Grimm, the nevermores had numbers, and unpredictability. Unlike a fighter, nevermores could stop on a dime, and perform aerial maneuvers a fighter never could. Dog fights were fierce with both sides taking heavy initial loses as fighter guns ripped through nevermores, and nevermores slammed into, or tore apart fighters. The townsfolk of Lakehurst could only look on in horror as falling from the clouds would be flaming wreckage of metal flying machines, and the dissolving bodies of nevermores. Luckily, the battle was taking place above the outskirts of the township so none of the debris fell into Lakehurst proper. Shiro's heart was beating out of his chest as the larger nevermores drew closer with each passing second.

"It's here," he said to no one, "She's here." When they got close, the larger nevermores veered up to pass over the Neuanfang. As they did they released the Grimm clenched in their claws. Everyone on the bridge could only look on in horror as creatures of Grimm began raining down onto the outer hull of the airship. They slammed into the hull with audible thuds, and a few even bounced, and rolled off the edge. Mimi leapt from her nevermore, and fell alongside Vet. When she landed she immediately dug her claws into the hull. Vet uncurled his tail, and embedded it into the hull before fully uncurling himself. As Mimi rose to her feet she looked around to see that quite a few Grimm, mostly beowolves, had made it despite the rough landing.

 _Vet!_

 **Affirmation.** Bringing his two pincers down hard onto the hull, Vet was able to pry open an opening into the airship. The beowolves quickly converged on the hole, and began pouring into the ship. Before she entered, Mimi gave one last look at the view window of the bridge to lock eyes with Shiro one last time before jumping into the hole. Shiro was covered in sweat as a voice cried out over the intercom.

"The hull has been breached! Grimm are entering the ship, and have taken leve-. Wha-AAGGH!"


	53. When We Were Soldiers

"Alert! Grimm have entered the ship! I repeat; Grimm have entered the ship! Security personnel are to report to levels: 23, 24, and 25 immediately! All other staff are to evacuate as quickly as possible!" Alarms were blaring throughout the Neuanfang as armed security units converged on the breached levels. They set up firing lines at key junctions, and began sealing the doors. The muffled sounds of battle could be felt rumbling through the walls as the firing line was dead silent with their guns trained on the door. Everyone was apprehensive as they watched their door since the noise from the alarms was drowning out most other noises. They had no idea what, if anything, was on the other side of the doors, yet. Gruelingly slow seconds marched on, but there was no movement from the doors. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife; some of the guards started sweating, and others were doing what they could to control their breathing. Then it began. Charlie-12 was posted at one of the doors on level 24 when a loud bang was heard against the door. The entire squad tensed up, and all thoughts were focused on the door. Another loud bang. And another. And another. One of the men began hyperventilating from the anxiety he was feeling waiting for whatever was about to happen. The next bang against the door was accompanied by another sound; the sound of metal being pierced by claws. It was a screeching noise that caused the squad members in front to start backing up away from the door.

"Hold." The squad leader was doing everything he could to keep a level tone of voice so as to not send any of his men over the edge, and do something brash. More piercing noises pierced the air alongside the blaring alarm. "Hold." A loud clang, the sound of metal snapping, caused everyone's heart to stop beating for a second. The door's lock just broke. "Hold!" The entire squad, the squad leader included, began unconsciously taking steps backwards. Movement from the door caused some of them to jump as the door, which consisted of two panels that came out of the wall, and closed in the middle of the doorway, slowly started to pry apart. Through the small crack all that could be seen was a sea of red eyes staring back at them. The tension reached its limit with the squad leader. "Fi-!" He started giving an order, but was cut off as a burst of spike bullets pierced his aura, and ripped through his skull which sent the man to the floor with a thud. The men had backed up far enough that they were next to an air duct vent; even if they hall doors are sealed the air ducts have no such seals to allow air to circulate the entire ship. As the squad turned back to see why their commander stopped giving his order, and to see what that strange noise was, Mimi burst from the vent with her finger held down on her demonic assault rifles trigger. Half the squad went down before anyone was able to collect themselves enough to start firing back, but by then it was too late as the door finally gave way, and beowolves descended upon the remains of Charlie-12.

"This is Bravo-03; our door has been breached, and we're fending off the advancing Grimm as best we can. Can anyone send reinforcements to our position?"

"This is Charlie-07; our door is still holding, we'll send some men to assist, Bravo-03, how copy?"

"Roger, Charlie-07."

"This is Charlie-11; our door is holding, but we heard something down the hall towards Charlie-12, but they're not responding to hails can anyone get through to them?"

"Charlie-11 this is bridge command; Charlie-12 has lost all vitals you are to seal the doorways leading to their last position, how copy?"

"Affirma-SHIT!"

"Charlie-11? Charlie-11 are you there? Do you copy?"

"OUR POSITION IS BEING OVERRUN! THEY BROKE THROU-" *static*

"Charlie-11?"

*static*

"Charlie-11 do you copy?" The radio operator's face became paler than it already was as she took a deep breath. "Charlie-07 delay the assist to Bravo-03; your orders are to seal the doors leading to level 24 then retreat to, and fortify the stairwells. How copy?" Shiro's fists were clenched to the point his fingers were turning white. Even though the operator was wearing a headset Shiro could gather what he needed by her responses alone. Their forces were being overrun, and the air battle going on outside wasn't fairing to much better by what he could see from the view window on the bridge. The larger nevermores which had originally only flown over them to drop the creatures of Grimm they were carrying, they were now circling the Neuanfang with a few of them landing on the outer hull, and attempting to pierce it with their beaks. The flak cannons did their best to keep the nevermores away, but there were far too many for any effective defense. Their fighters were also being lost at an alarming rate.

"We can't even retreat," Shiro cursed under his breath.

"No. No we can't." Joseph was also doing his best to keep calm, but with the Grimm inching ever close to them it was getting hard. He took his pistol out of its holster, and checked its magazine. "However, I'm not about to just lie down, and die, either." Joseph handed the pistol to Shiro who took with a heavy sigh. Then, a tired smile played on Shiro's lips.

"Say, did your semblance ever awaken?" Shiro asked while cocking the gun. "I forgot to ask you earlier."

Joseph also smiled, and gave a chuckle, "Nah. Damned thing seems to want nothing to do with me." He walked over to the captains chair, and pulled out a spare pistol from the arm of the chair. "You?"

Shiro shook his head, "Though, I'm not complaining too much. A guy like me doesn't deserve a semblance."

"You're too bashful, Shiro." Both men laughed before they fell back into silence. The two security teams that were stationed on the bridge were ordered to help fortify the stairwells, and relieve some of the strain on the security teams. An unease took hold of the non-combat staff on the bridge, but they continued fulfilling their duties. One after another, like dominoes, the vitals for the security personnel teams dropped. It was slowly at first; they were spread out around the ship so it made sense. But, as they were pushed back, and forced to fortify various checkpoints together they started dropping much faster, and in larger groups. A few escape pods filled with staff were launched, but they were all quickly intercepted by nevermores. Truly, there was no escape. The staff accepted this, and continued their duties. A distress beacon was set to constantly ping, but they weren't expecting a response way out here, and the mountains were interfering with their comms. The ones who had no more duties, the radio operator, radar operator, etc., all took out the spare pistols from under their stations, and formed a defensive line facing the door. The alarm was shut off, too, as it no longer held a purpose. Gunfire was heard outside the door, and fear gripped the staff. Joseph, and Shiro did their best to stand tall, but with the end bearing down on them it was impossible to keep a cool exterior. After a few seconds the gunfire stopped, and the bridge was silent. A few of them broke down into tears when the banging on the door started. "I would like to say…" Joseph began, "That it has been my honor to have served alongside all of you. Know that, while we may meet our ends here today, we meet it as brothers, and sisters in arms. As a family. And, know that we won't go down quietly into the night." The spirits started to lift through the bridge as the banging continued, and the sound of metal being pierced by claws could be heard. "Let us go out with a roar of defiance." He, and all present, took aim at the door as it was torn open, and a wall of death descended down upon them.


	54. We Fought So Well

When the first Grimm poked its head through the cracked bridge door it was swiftly met with five bullets to the face. The beowolf slumped down, and dissipated into black smoke as its comrades continued to pry the doors open further so that the gap could be big enough to fit through. The overly eager were shot as they futilely attempted to squeeze through. Things were surprisingly organized as the remaining crew called out their shots in order to conserve as much ammo as they could to take out as many Grimm with them as they could. However, the doors hydraulics finally snapped, and the Grimm threw the doors wide open. Now was no longer the time for called shots. The first beowolves to step foot onto the bridge proper were gunned down, but one managed to leap onto a computer terminal, and lunge at the right flank. The crewman couldn't keep up with the sudden burst of speed, and soon found the beowolf's jaws sinking into his flesh. Thrashing the man around like a chew toy, the beowolf whipped the man back, and forth slamming him into both the floor, and computer terminals. A crewman broke ranks rushing to the aid of her fallen comrade, running up to the beowolf, pressing the barrel of the pistol she held to its head, and pulling the trigger multiple times. The Grimm let go of the man, but the damage was done, and the crewman-chew toy fell to the ground missing a good portion of his stomach. At the same time, two beowolves used the still dissolving corpses of their brothers as shields to absorb the bullets, and breach the line on the left flank. The men on the left flank batted away one of the bodies to dispatch the first beowolf, but the other ripped its claws through one of the crewman's weak aura putting a deep gash in his chest. More bullets rang out, and that beowolf was quickly dispatched as well. At the start of the attack on the bridge there were twelve crewman excluding Joseph, and Shiro; as the assault swung into action that number was quickly reduced to eight. However, they did not waiver. Those left on the bridge accepted their fate, and fought not with fear, but defiance. And, that defiance paid off. Joseph, and Shiro stood alongside three remaining crewman as the last beowolf was killed. There had been a finite number of Grimm that were brought by nevermores to board the ship, at last that number was spent, and there were no more beowolves left.

"We…we did it?!" The communication woman gave a shaky sigh, and collapsed to the floor resting her back against one of the computer terminals. The two other crewman leaned against their terminals, and Joseph breathed a heavy sigh. There was a wave of relief that swept through the remaining crew; except for one. They won against the beowolves, yes, but the nevermores outside were still tearing the ship apart as they, along with a death stalker, had destroyed the anti-air defense turrets giving them free reign of the sky, and there was still one more Grimm they had to deal with. No sooner had the crew breathed a sigh of relief before it was just as quickly dashed as the sounds of footsteps was heard at the door. As the last of the black smoke dissipated a lone figure stood in the doorway of the bridge holding a demonic assault rifle. Mimi's red eyes softly glowed with a seething anger as she glared at Shiro. The three crewman quickly stood, and formed a line in front of Shiro, and Joseph.

"What are you-?"

"You're its objective, sir," the comms woman stated, "Stopping it from reaching you is ours." Mimi raised an eyebrow, which was hidden by her mask, and started to walk closer. As soon as she took her first step the three remaining crew, and Joseph opened fire. Gunfire filled the room as the four emptied their clips. When their guns went 'click' they lowered them, and, with looks of horror, watched as Mimi stood her ground. Soft metal 'tinks' could be heard as the bullets were pushed harmlessly out of Mimi's body as they fell, and hit the floor.

"NO-!" Shiro's shout was cut short as Mimi raised her assault rifle, and opened fire. The demented noise of the rifle complemented the sounds of the bone spike bullets shattering auras, and piercing flesh. Joseph instinctively spun on his heels, and tackled Shiro to the floor; shielding him from the bullets that tore into his back. While his back was now covered in spikes, Joseph was alive; the three crewman weren't so fortunate. Their bodies slumped back against some computer terminals, and fell to the floor shortly thereafter. Shiro had grabbed Joseph as they fell, and removed his hand which was now wet with Joseph's fresh blood. "Hey! HEY!" He quickly began shaking Joseph who was nodding off into unconsciousness.

"Shiro…you hit?"

Tears formed in Shiro's eyes as he held his dying friend, "No, you old son of a bitch. You took my share of the bullets." His voice waivered as he tried to remain composed through the tears.

"I always did…like taking your stuff…" Joseph tried to give a laugh, but only ended up violently coughing up blood. "Ah…well shi-" He wouldn't get to finish his last words as a bone spike bullet went through the back of his head, and pierced out his forehead. The old soldier's body fell limp in Shiro's arms. Tears passively flowed down his cheeks as Shiro speechlessly held the corpse of his oldest friend. He took in a few shaky breaths as he kept the pain in, and closed Joseph's eyelids before placing his body on the floor, and folding Joesph's arms over his chest with his pistol held resting in his hands. Mimi, for her part, allowed Shiro to do this. Not out of some sense of sadness, or empathy. Far from it, while Shiro did it he gave off the most **delicious** tasting despair she'd ever tasted. _**The taste of revenge.**_ Is what Mimi rationalized it as. Shiro put his hands together, and gave a quiet prayer. Again, Mimi allowed it. When he was finished, Shiro slowly got to his feet, and gave one final deep sigh as he raised his head, and looked Mimi in the eyes. Shiro didn't understand why the mimic had allowed him that moment, but, in the end, he knew it didn't matter. What did matter to him, however…

"Are you…a revenant?" Mimi was taken aback by Shiro's sudden question. There was no malice, no hatred, or anger in his voice. If anything he sounded extremely tired. Mimi tilted her head to the side in confusion. Shiro continued, "A being meant to punish those who've wronged in the past." He wasn't sure if the mimic could understand him, but it was allowing him to talk, so that's what he was going to do. "I admit, I am not a man without his share of sins-…no…more than his fair share of sins. Your animosity towards me as well as my former acquaintance Fox is proof of that enough." Mimi narrowed her eyes in suspicion as a weird lime green glow started appearing around his aura's. "But, haven't we all made mistakes?" The lime green glow was growing more intense as he continued to speak. Mimi knew what it was. "Haven't we all strayed from the right path? Haven't we all made blunders that we wish to right?" _…Blunders…?_ Mimi's hands started to tremble. _Slaughtering my family…was a_ _ **blunder?!**_ With a burst of speed Mimi sent her fist into Shiro's face sending the man rocketing across the bridge before slamming into the view window, and sliding to the floor. _Some_ _ **blunder!?**_ _Some_ _ **little mishap?!**_ Mimi's fury grew as Shiro's words only fueled her already mountainous hatred towards him. _**You don't even know their names!**_ Her eyes glowed a burning crimson as she glared at Shiro, who was picking himself up from the floor. _**Rain! Philip! Jerry! Bates! Terric! Those are the names of the ones you stole from me!**_ As Mimi stewed in her hate Shiro held his pistol firmly in his hand, and aimed it at Mimi. "I've paid my dues, mimic. And now," Mimi refocused her attention on Shiro as she saw his aura flare up from the activation of his semblance, "I'm going to put you to rest." A single shot rang out on the bridge. Mimi's eyes went wide as Shiro's semblance wrapped itself around the bullet as it flew out of the gun allowing it to break through her skin, and pierced right through her chest.


	55. Who Got The Better?

The dust-tipped bullet, now strengthened by Shiro's semblance, easily pierced Mimi's skin, and ripped through her chest before coming out the other side. Now purely thinking about survival, Mimi dove behind a computer console while returning fire with her assault rifle. Her aim was sloppy which allowed Shiro to also dive behind a terminal completely avoiding Mimi's return fire. A mix of red, and black blood now stained the floor as Mimi inspected her wound in the brief pause. While the bullet had gone through the center of her chest, it luckily missed her spinal column which would have paralyzed her. _A semblance that super charges bullets?!_ Mimi controlled her breathing, and focused on regenerating the wound. _You've gotta be shitting me._ The wound wasn't fully healed, but she made sure that it was no longer actively bleeding before she started crawling her way against the computer console. Shiro was across the bridge from her, but there was plenty of cover to weave through. _That also works against me, though._ The Neuanfang softly shook as explosions would occasionally wrack the hull of the airship as the nevermores outside did their best to tear the ship to pieces. Hazarding return fire, Mimi came out of her crawl, and crouched bringing her assault rifle to rest on top of the console she was using as cover, and fired a volley at the terminal Shiro was hiding behind. The bone spike bullets embedded themselves into the computer. When Mimi stopped firing to take cover Shiro peeked around the corner, and fired three rounds at Mimi. The one grazed her shoulder while the other two missed. Again, the bullet easily tore through her skin like it was nothing. _**Shit!**_ Hurried footsteps could be heard coming up the center aisle between the rows of computers approaching her. Kicking off the console she was using as cover, Mimi slid across the aisle while filling it with bullets. Shiro returned fire as he dove behind a console, but not before three spike bullets hit his aura. While she could still see him, Mimi saw Shiro's aura waiver from the bullets, but held firm. Not wasting the chance, she got up, and sprinted towards Shiro who was still picking himself up from his dive. Mimi dematerialized her assault rifle, lunged around the corner, and slammed him into the console hard enough that the screen broke, and sparks flew out. The sparks distracted Mimi for a moment which Shiro exploited to fire two rounds into Mimi's stomach. She roared from the pain, and Shiro brought his legs to his chest before quickly extending them to kick Mimi off of him sending her against the back of a computer console across from him. Shiro had her dead to rights, took aim, and pulled the trigger on his pistol. But, in the action Shiro had lost track of how many bullets he had left, and his gun clicked empty. Hearing the click of his gun, Mimi rematerialized her assault rifle, and went to fire, but found Shiro's pistol flying at her head. She deflected it, but felt a shadow overtake her, and instinctively dove forward just in time as Shiro had drawn a knife that was softly glowing as dust swirled around it. _So it's not supercharging bullets…_ Mimi thought as she got up from her role to see the knife. _But, it's manipulating dust to agitate it making it more volatile._ Her eyes pulsed red, and Mimi mimicked Shiro's stance as a demonic knife materialized in her hand. She twirled it in her hand getting used to the weight, and feel before firmly gripping it, and glaring into Shiro's eyes.

"Not even your tricks will dissuade me, mimic!" Shiro said as he charged her. Knowing his movements, Mimi could clearly see what he was doing, and brought her knife to parry the blow. But, thanks to his semblance agitating the dust embedded on the blade of the knife, Shiro's knife cleaved through Mimi's like a hot knife through butter. _OH_ _ **COME ON!**_ Having her legs collapse allowed Mimi to dodge the swing, and she sprung away from Shiro creating a good ten feet gap between them as she materialized another knife. But, Shiro wouldn't let her recover, and rushed her, again. He was allowing no distance to be put between them. _How is a guy that looks in his early 50's so fast!?_ During one of his gap closing dashes Shiro picked up, reloaded his pistol, and swapped the knife to his off hand. Keeping pace, Mimi also swapped the knife to her off hand, and materialized a pistol. It was a combination of the mimicked muscle memories, and her enhanced speed as a Grimm that kept her alive as she used her knife to deflect Shiro's as best she could while exchanging point blank fire. The two got into a rhythm, a dance of death, as they both tried their hardest to land a hit with their knives, or shoot the other with their guns. Mimi would wait until Shiro's knife was half way through hers before tossing it away causing the attack to miss. When one of them lined up a shot with their pistol the other would use their own pistol to bat the other's away causing the shot to miss. However, this was a dance that Shiro knew he would lose if it kept up as he knew Mimi's pistol didn't need to be reloaded after seeing her previous firearms in action. His own pistol, however, would soon run out, and he would need to break off to reload. Mimi also knew this, and bided her time. When Shiro's pistol finally clicked empty he went to kick Mimi away, but she sidestepped the kick, and slammed her fist into his gut. On instinct, Shiro swung his knife wide forcing Mimi to back off for a brief moment. As the two were about to reengage the entire ship violently shook causing them to pause to keep their balance. Then, things started to tilt. They tilted slowly at first, but then things started to get dramatically tilted, and loose items began sliding across the computer terminals, and floor. _Wait…is the ship…_ Mimi's thought were interrupted as she noticed Shiro had reloaded his pistol, and was taking aim.

The nevermores outside got bored of piercing holes into the main hull of the Nueanfang, and decided to move onto a different part of the ship. Six large nevermores flew to the rear of the ship, and latched their claws onto the engines. Their massive beaks punctured the metal, and their powerful talons went to work ripping the engines apart. Explosions erupted from the now crippled engines, and the airship started to dip forward, and lose altitude with its now imbalanced thrust. As Shiro, and Mimi continued their death dance they soon found themselves sliding across the floor as the Neuanfang continued dipping its nose forward. They landed on the view window which was now their new floor. New alarms were blaring over the speaker system, and red lights were filling the bridge with an ominous red glow. The airship was rapidly losing altitude, and Mimi glanced down to see Vet hitch a ride with the large nevermore as the Grimm started to evacuate from the ship to watch it fall. Mimi went to disengage, but Shiro, again, wouldn't let her get space between them. _You really do have given up with a death wish!_ She let out a low growl. _**Fine by me.**_ Mimi stopped running, and redoubled her efforts into killing Shiro.

* * *

The thunder that had been hanging above Lakehurst brought the entire town out of their lazy afternoon stupor, and into an uneasy silence. A few mothers herded their children inside out of a sense of foreboding fear. Others were looking out for the rain that thunder was supposed to bring with it. The ones who saw the fiery wreckages of the Atlas fighters, and corpses of Grimm fall from the sky, which had stopped a few minutes ago, held apprehension in their hearts as they kept glancing skyward while going about their day. Then, the thunder stopped. There was still a low drooling hanging in the air, but the thunder was silent, and nothing else fell from the clouds. People started to go back to their daily routines putting it in the back of their minds. Until…

"What is that, mommy?" A young girl with a confused look on her face was pointing to the sky. Her mother followed her point, and all the color drained from her face as she gave a blood curdling scream. The drooling became louder. Naturally, people looked to the now screaming woman, and then at the sky she was screaming at. That's when everyone started to scream. The Neuanfang, infested with pockets of fire that was spreading across its hull, burst from the cloud cover in a full nose dive directly above the town's square. People panicked, and started to run. Some froze in place as their legs refused to believe what they saw. And, others fainted as the metal fireball hurtled towards them. The mother who first screamed scooped up her very confused daughter in her arms, and held her close. "Mo-," would be the daughter's last words as the Neuanfang slammed into the square; its metal hull screaming as it buckled under the impact, and its own weight. The ground violently shook causing weaker buildings near the crash site to collapse. Part of the twisting metal pierced the airship's dust reactor causing a massive explosion that sent a deadly shockwave tearing through Lakehurst. The screams were silenced.


	56. None Can Tell

_I really…need to stop…ending up like this…_ Whenever Mimi tried to open her eyes the world would violently spin causing a massive headache; however, she knew she was laying on her back. Her hearing was slowly restoring itself, but there was still a loud ringing in her ears that refused to go away. _Body check…Left arm?_ Mimi twitched her left arm, and felt a response. _Check…Right arm?_ Mimi attempted to twitch her right arm, but the feeling was faint. _Shit…Legs?_ Her knees bent bringing her legs up, and her feet flat on the ground. _Well…at least you three work…_ The sound of a roaring fire was making itself known as her hearing fully restored itself after a few minutes of laying still. Hazarding a look, Mimi opened her eyes to find that the world had stopped spinning, the vision from her right eye was blurry, and she didn't find the sky above her head like she thought. Instead, as she lay on her back there was only mangled metal above her. Thinking back Mimi recalled that the Neuanfang had crashed while doing a nose dive. When impact came she was ejected through the view window, and thrown into the crumbling remains of the airship along with… _**Shiro.**_ Mimi turned her head from side to side, but didn't see him anywhere; all she saw was more twisted metal, and fire. Using her left arm she turned herself onto her stomach, and then brought herself up into a crouch on all fours. Inspecting her body, Mimi found that most of the bone plates she had were either cracked, or completely broken. She looked at her right arm. _Oh…_ It took all her concentration, but she was able to move her right arm. Slowly, so as not to disorient herself, Mimi stood up. She tried to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart, but only ended up coughing from all the smoke that permeated the air. _First things first…Outside air…_ Picking the direction with the least amount of fire, Mimi began stumbling her way out of the wreckage of the Neuanfang. It took a few minutes of stumbling, and sliding down distorted metal until her feet finally made contact with earthy ground. A door in her way hung ajar, so Mimi took a deep breath, and gave it a kick sending the door off its already weakened rails. It crashed a few feet away snuffing out a fire by collapsing on it. There was no sunlight as the heavy smoke bolstered the already overcast sky allowing little light to shine through. Embers danced in the air, and as she continued to stumble away Mimi looked back at the flaming wreckage of the once proud airship. The back half was still distinguishable as to what it used to be, but the entire front was a mess of twisted metal that pierced the earth. It stood tall as the grave marker for the former town. Nevermores had broken through the clouds, and were circling overhead; their cries faint echoes on the wind as it wove its way through the ruins of Lakehurst. As she stared at the ship she smelled something in the air. There was a permeating despair that Mimi was expecting from such an event, but there was another scent that was all too familiar her. Rage. That's when the bullet pierced her right shoulder sending her stumbling forward to catch herself on a piece of metal that had embedded itself in the ground.

"Twenty FUCKING years!" Shiro emerged from the remains of a nearby building, which was just a single wall that had yet to fall over. He had a terrible limp, and was leaning against the ruble as a crutch while his right hand shakily held his pistol which was aimed at Mimi. He was missing his left arm. The left side of his stomach, both his legs, and part of his face were soaked in blood as his aura had long since shattered, and he was covered in bruises, burns, and cuts. "The Great War ended twenty years ago!" His voice shook with anger, and he momentarily paused to cough up some blood. "Why the FUCK are you even here?!" He fired another shot, but it missed sending a puff of dirt into the air as it harmlessly hit the ground. Mimi partially turned her head to look at him with her good eye as a mix of red, and black blood oozed from the fresh bullet wound. "You could have stayed in Vacuo!" Shiro continued his slow advance. "The reports said you aided them. You had friends there, right? Comrades?" Mimi dug the claws of her left hand into the metal. "People who knew…knew what you were…But NO!" Another shot rang out, and this time it found its mark in the side of Mimi's stomach. She winced in pain. While there was plenty of negative emotions, and death hanging in the air it would take time for her body to convert it into regenerated material; and with as much damage as she'd sustained that process had slowed down, and would take a while. "You just HAD to cross the entirety of Vacuo." Another shot. "Attack my students!" Another shot. "All to get to me? After the war had ended DECADES ago!?" Another shot. Shiro was about fifteen feet away from Mimi at this point. Mimi was hunched over from the pain, and her weakened body. "No more…" Shiro's voice was firm. "No more deaths. No more suffering. No mo-…" He cut himself off, and stopped his advance. Shiro froze, and his eyes widened. Mimi had managed to pick herself up off the wall, and had turned to face Shiro directly. He could not explain what he was looking at in that moment, but something inside of him knew exactly what it was, and that sent him collapsing to his knees. He dropped his pistol, and his arms hung limply from his sides. Tears started to form in his eyes, and freely flowed down his face as his expression went from one of anger, to one of immense sorrow. Mimi slowly walked towards him. The sound of the fires that raged around them paled in comparison to Mimi's gradual footsteps in the ashen dirt. Shiro's mind raced to come up with an explanation; anything to comprehend what was walking towards him in that moment. When Mimi stood a mere foot away from him did Shiro finally understand what was happening. He had guessed something along the lines earlier, and didn't fully put stock in it. But, looking up, and staring into Mimi's eyes affirmed that earlier theory. Mimi knelt down, and, using every ounce of concentration, picked up the pistol with her right hand before standing back up. Shiro could only repeatedly whisper out a single phrase, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" as he stared into Mimi's human eye.

The entire upper right side of Mimi's body was no longer covered by the black ooze. Her right arm was atrophied to the point it took everything she had to move it, and all sensations were dulled to the point of near nonexistence. Her stomach was concaving into itself, and Shiro was able to count every rib in her chest. Once a rich, caramel brown, Mimi's human skin was now a pale remnant of its former color to the point it looked almost completely gray, and it was covered in scars from all her past battles. The face mask that adorned the upper part of her face was broken in half down the center of her face, and the right side of her head was completely exposed. But, it wasn't the paleness of her skin, the derelict state her body was in, or her sunken, hollow cheeks that drew Shiro's eyes; it was her right eye. While Mimi's left eye was still a solid red, her right eye was a cloudy brown; completely human, and completely dead. Yet, it still looked around. As Mimi stood over him it still looked down on Shiro with a hatred that sent the icy chill of death down to his very core. Shiro made no attempt to resist Mimi. Not when she stared into his very soul. Not when she leveled the pistol to his head. And, not when she pulled the trigger. Shiro's body lifelessly slumped to the ground with a thud, and Mimi watched as the life drained from his eyes. She stood there for a few minutes before finally dropping the gun, and letting her right arm limply fall to her side. Mimi broke her gaze from Shiro's body to look at her surroundings. Some buildings still stood further out, but even those had their windows, and doors blown out. All buildings near the crash were gone with only the occasional single standing wall, like what Shiro was behind, marking where a home once was. Eventually, Mimi's gaze fell to the street in front of her, and the lone figure standing in the middle of it. The green cloaked figure stared back at her with bloody tears running down her face. _Sorry…Jade…_ Mimi felt her consciousness fading, and the world spun as she fell. _I really am bad…at keeping…promises…_

* * *

"I knew a girl from Lakehurst. A kind gal who ran a flower shop." The old man sat staring at a map of Remnant from his wheelchair. His guest remained silent. "She gave me a bouquet of blue iris." He smacked his dried lips as his mind went back to those days. "'For the ones protecting us, a flower's always free.' Is what she said to me. It was mid-summer, and the entire shop was in a beautiful bloom." Gingerly, he ran a hand through his beard, and gave a heavy sigh. The guest tapped an impatient finger on the map snapping the old man back to reality. "Oh, right. Apologies I…get a bit lost in thought when I remember those days." The wheelchair moved closer to the table, and the old man folded his fingers together resting his chin on his hands. "After Lakehurst things get a bit…muddled on my end. Ozpin certainly likes to keep things 'under control' as he put it to me once." He waved a hand dismissively, "A load of good that did the people of Lakehurst. But, I digress. Lakehurst is where my understanding of events gets unclear for a time. There's a twelve year gap that I can't account for." Turning the wheelchair the old man faced his guest. "I don't suppose you would care to shed some light on that for me?" The guest looked from the map to the old man before giving a sigh, and began telling a tale.

* * *

Volume 4 complete. Fun trivia: "Neuanfang" roughly translates to "New Beginning" in German as its story significance was for Shiro to use the airship as a 'new beginning' of Atlas-Vale relations. Hope you all are enjoying the story so far!

Volume 5 begins January 18th with Chapter 57: Hope on Silver Wings


	57. Hope on Silver Wings

"You already know why we're contacting you, headmaster, and you'd best have an answer. Now then, if you would please enlighten us. What. Happened?" The sun had long since set, and Ozpin's office was illuminated a cold blue by the screen on his wall projecting the images of three Vale council members. It didn't even take a day for news of the Neuanfang's fate to spread like wildfire across Remnant, and the people were restless. Even Atlas was panicking as they had just lost one of their prized airships to a Grimm attack over foreign soil. Everyone was desperate for answers. Ozpin had his fingers interlocked, and tried to put on an air of control, but his fingernails were digging into the top of his hands with frustration.

"As you already know there was a Gri-." The center man raised his hand for Oz to stop talking.

"We did not call you to repeat what we already know, headmaster." There was an edge to his voice that left no room for games. "The council has been willing to overlook a great many things since you took office. This, however, is not one of those things." The man adjusted himself in his chair, and paused for a moment to let his words sink in. The man next to him, who was usually all too eager to yell at Oz, was silent with a stern look on his face. The woman's face was unreadable as she silently sat in her chair letting the man in the center continue. "Tell us what you know; more specifically, what we don't know." Ozpin let out a sigh. _If I don't give them a carrot I'll lose them._

"Very well." Ozpin leaned back in his chair as he looked at the three council members. "There is but a single prior incident, which I know of, where the mimic Grimm makes itself known." This news didn't seem to faze the council members who sat silently waiting for him to continue. "During the final hours of the Great War, at the battle for the Vacuo dust mines there was a mystery combatant who fought alongside the soldiers of Vacuo against the combined Atlas-Mistral forces. The combatant was said to be mimicking the fighting styles of the Atlas, and Mistral soldiers, as well as copying their weapons to use against them. Many say they saw the combatant, and that it was a humanoid Grimm. A few of the soldiers reported it, but their commanding officers who weren't there wrote it off as delusions from a mixture of the intense heat, and the adrenaline pumping through them from the battle. I, myself, didn't put much merit into it as I originally agreed with the commanding officers. Now," he let out a sigh of feigned ignorance, "Now I see I was a fool to throw away such claims." Ozpin finished, and the room fell into silence. The woman glanced at the man in the center who was nodding his head slowly as he took in what Ozpin had told them.

"Was there anything specific to these soldier's reports about the mimic?"

"A few said it took a tank shell to the face, and didn't flinch." This caused all three council members to shift uncomfortably in their seats.

The woman spoke up, "Then, I believe that we've taken the correct course of action."

Oz raised an eyebrow, "Action?"

"Yes," she said looking down at Ozpin, "A team of huntsman isn't enough, and an army failed with catastrophic results. So, we reached out to one of our contacts for assistance on this matter." Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

"Don't give us that, headmaster." The man in the center spoke. "You promised results, and delivered failure. Now, we shall act directly through our associate."

"And who, if you would be so _kind_ as to fill me in, is this associate." As soon as he finished speaking there was a knock on his door causing Ozpin to jump.

The woman grinned, "That should be him, now." When his door opened a man in a black trench coat, and wide brimmed hat entered his office. The man wasn't too tall, but was strongly built, had a hard, square chin, and his dark red hair naturally fell to the sides of his head. But, what struck Ozpin most, and what told him the man's identity, was the man's noble, silver eyes.

"Jager Van Grimmig!?"

"Greetings, headmaster of Beacon." Van Grimmig's voice was soft, yet powerful at the same time holding command over the room with a gentle authority. He held an expression of soft kindness as he approached Ozpin who eagerly shook his gloved hand. "It is a pleasure to meet a fellow scholar, and the man in charge of the next generation of huntsman, though I wish we could have met on more pleasant terms." He removed his hat, and held it at his side.

"Please, the pleasure is all mine, Van Grimmig. Come, have a seat." _They actually convinced him to take on a mission, again?!_

Van Grimmig smiled, but shook his head, "While I would love to speak at length with you I am here on a mission from the council." He nodded towards the screen, and the man in the middle spoke.

"Van Grimmig is the best solo huntsman at our disposal. Where armies, and teams of huntsman failed Remnant's greatest living huntsman will deliver us our results."

Van Grimmig, again, smiled while giving a soft chuckle, "I wouldn't say that, councilman, I've seen some of the huntsman at this academy already, and can say they'll be surpassing me once they complete their training. Remnant is in very capable hands. I will complete my mission."

The man in the center nodded, "See to it, Van Grimmig." And, the screen flicked off as they cut off the connection.

"My apologies, headmaster, but I did eavesdrop on your earlier conversation with the council, and would very much like to discuss the mimic Grimm with you."

"Please, if anything it saves me some talking." Van Grimmig let out a heartfelt laugh which instantly lightened the mood. "Though, I'm not sure what else I can tell you as all I know are stories passed on from soldiers who returned from the frontlines, and the commanders who shared them with me."

"Anything, and everything is useful when beginning a hunt, headmaster. I'm wondering if you could give me the names of the people you spoke to about this?"

"Of course." _He's digging a bit too-._

"There's also the matter of the late Professor Jenkins." _Oh?_ Ozpin raised an eyebrow as Van Grimmig continued. "From what little I understand, he was involved in both incidents. The Neuanfang being at Lakehurst was his doing, correct?" _How did he…?_ Ozpin was stunned for a moment. Van Grimmig saw this, and added, "The captain of the Neuanfang had to speak with the council to get permission to set out, and Professor Jenkins was mentioned as being on board. I also know that the field trip which first revealed the mimic to the world at large was also Professor Jenkins' doing. Logically, it would be a sound theory that he was, somehow, involved with the mimic's actions based on his brash response to the death of Miss Everglen from the first incident." _So, you've done your homework I see._ Ozpin rubbed his chin as he thought of his next words carefully.

"While, yes, the Neuanfang moving out of Vale was Shiro's idea I wouldn't see how that makes him responsible for the mimic Grimm's actions."

"Normally I would be inclined to agree with you, headmaster, but these are extraordinary times. Two of the most devastating Grimm attacks in the past decade happened in the span of a few days from each other, and they involved both the mimic Grimm, and Professor Jenkins." Van Grimmig's eyes showed that he was deep in thought processing a large quantity of information as he continued his conversation with Ozpin. "They are consistent variables from the incidents, and I don't like to put faith in coincidence."

Ozpin leaned back in his chair, "Coincidence, or not, Professor Jenkins was a noble man who came to me seeking to do good for what his nation did to the world during the Great War. He had no ties to the mimic, or he would have told me after the first incident."

"Would he have, though?" Van Grimmig's face never changed, but the air got a little heavier as an uneasy edge formed between the two men.

"Yes," Ozpin answered flatly, "He is a man of principle, and would not have held such information back given the situation. His reason for being on the Neuanfang was out of grief because he viewed himself responsible for Miss Everglen's death. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen to reason."

"Such powerful grief can certainly make us do brash actions." Van Grimmig nodded slowly as the two of them fell into a silence. After a few minutes Van Grimmig stood up. "If you don't mind I would like to view the academy tomorrow? When I came in most of the people had already turned in for the night, and I would love to see the students filling the halls."

"Of course. If you're not too busy I would love for you to be a guest speaker for a class, or two."

Van Grimmig shook his head, "Visiting is one thing, but I am on the clock now. I'm a working man, again." Both men gave a laugh, and Van Grimmig put his hat back on while walking to the door. As he walked he held an air about him that anyone would think was complete calm. What didn't show was how deep in thought Van Grimmig was as he planned his next move. In the dark silence of the hallway he spoke to himself, "'Man of principle?' Dear headmaster that lie is so very easy to see through for those whose lives depend on discovering truth." He took out, and checked his pocket watch. "Let us see how deep the rabbit hole goes."


	58. Training Day

"She seems…better?" Ebony, and Dia were leaning against the railing to the gym's arena watching Amber as she was sparring against two other students. Ebony took a bite out of his granola bar, "I mean…you know?" Dia gave a sigh.

"Depends on what you mean by 'better'." Dia wasn't using his semblance to aid her, and was letting Amber fight on her own as she had requested. "As a fighter she's already shown amazing improvement in these past few days." She was fighting a nunchaku user, and a student with a war scythe. While both students were quick they were having a hard time keeping pace with Amber's semblance; air dash. The ability to instantly change one's direction mid-air no matter the speed, and the new direction keeps the initial speed. Her semblance, combined with her revolver heels was allowing Amber to zip circles around the two students driving them into a corner. "Mentally, however…" The war scythe user slipped up his footing, and Amber pounced. Quickly changing direction she landed a clean kick to the scythe user's stomach, and fired off a round sending him out of the ring into a wall where his aura faded. A nunchaku was about to strike her head, but she air dashed behind them, dug her heel into their lower back, and fired two rounds shattering their aura, and sending them out of the ring. She has now defeated everyone in the class at least once. "She's still not all there."

"Yeah…but…she seems fine, though. Her head's in the game, so…"

A kind voice spoke up from behind them, "'Being all there' is about more than just raw fighting skill." The two turned to find Van Grimmig entering the stands, and walking towards them. Ebony looked confused, but Dia's eyes lit up.

"Y-Y-Y-You're Van Grimmig?!" Dia's entire body was tensed up with built up excitement. "I-I-I'm a _huge_ fan, Mr. Van Grimmig, sir." Amused at Dia's reaction, Van Grimmig gave a chuckle, and held up a hand for him to slow down.

"I am certainly glad to hear I have a fan among the next generation of huntsman. Might I get your name, son?"

"Dia, sir. Dia Mund."

"Mund?" Van Grimmig scratched his chin, "Are you, by chance, related to Cherelle Mund?" Again, Dia's eyes lit up.

"You know my mother?"

"Know her?" Van Grimmig joined the two in leaning against the railing. "I've worked with her, or rather, she's worked on a few of the research projects I've had the good graces of leading. I can tell that you've got her hunger for knowledge now that I look at you with her in mind." Dia was stunned, and Ebony rolled his eyes in amusement. Van Grimmig looked in the arena as two more students were hesitantly entering while Amber tapped her foot impatiently. "But, to what you were saying earlier, while your friend's fighting is most certainly impressive she is a bit too harsh."

"Harsh?" Ebony asked, and raised an eyebrow.

Van Grimmig nodded, "From what I understand this is meant to be some friendly sparring, but looking around the room, and at the two unfortunate souls who just entered the ring, I can tell this is anything by friendly." As he spoke, Amber dispatched the newly entered students with relative ease; though she was still scowling about something.

Dia managed to recompose himself, "She's been like that ever since Jade's death at the hands of the mimic Grimm."

"Miss Everglen?" Van Grimmig turned his head to look at the two boys. "So am I right in assuming that you are the three survivors from her team?"

Ebony nodded, "We all took it pretty bad, but Amber…" Another student was sent flying out of the ring.

"I see." He scratched his chin, again. "If you don't mind a scholar prying; what can you tell me about the mimic?"

"Well," Dia began as he rubbed his chin the exact same way Van Grimmig was, "It doesn't fight like a normal Grimm. If anything, the mimic fights like a huntsman."

"Which is why she is training so harshly against other huntsman," Van Grimmig concluded.

Dia nodded, "But, it's much more than that. See, the mimic, as its name suggests, mimics the person it's fighting." Van Grimmig's ears perked up at this. "It even, somehow, creates a weapon to use your fighting style against you."

Ebony interjected, "Or, as we found out, use our fighting styles against each other."

"Thus why she's fighting so many different huntsman." Van Grimmig was watching Amber's fight intently as he analyzed what Dia, and Ebony were telling him about the mimic. "What about these weapons it creates? Are they exact replicas?"

"No," Dia shook his head, "They look like they're made of the same bone material that makes up a Grimm's mask, and the design of the weapon is all twisted."

"So, did it use all your weapons to gain an advantage to overwhelm you?"

"No, it only ever used a single weapon, and fighting style at a time." Van Grimmig's eyes shot over to Dia. "Thinking back, it switched between weapons, and styles rapidly depending on the situation."

"The power of mimicry, and a deadly intellect to use it." His voice remained its usual calm as he spoke. "It truly is more than just a mindless beast, then."

Ebony gave a sigh as he watched Amber, "Yeah, and Jade apparently made friends with it, too." This got Van Grimmig to stand up from leaning, and he turned to face Ebony.

"I beg your pardon I am getting on in my years so my hearing isn't what it used to be, but did you say she made friends with the mimic Grimm?"

"Yeah," Ebony nodded, "It was apparently wandering the city in a yellow robe for a while looking for a Shiro Gane, Professor Jenkin's old name before he changed it when he moved to Vale apparently, and the two of them stopped a store robbery." Van Grimmig's expression went from one of curiosity to confusion.

"The mimic Grimm stopped a store robbery? With Miss Everglen?"

Dia nodded, "From Dust Till Dawn was the store; it's a local dust shop in the city." Van Grimmig made a mental note to visit there later.

"Hmm. Well, I thank you both for the information, so I think I'll lend your friend a hand." Both Dia, and Ebony looked confused, but Van Grimmig held a coy smile on his face, and jumped the railing into the ring. Amber was still waiting for an opponent, and turned when she heard someone land behind her.

She cocked an eyebrow, "Can I help you?"

Van Grimmig smiled, "Actually, it is I who can help you, Miss Amber." He motioned for her to come at him. Amber snorted, but obliged. Using her revolver heels she sent herself flying towards him. As she was about to reach him she activated her semblance, and swerved behind him. Van Grimmig's calm smile never left his face as he took a step to the side, turned, and grabbed Amber's outstretched leg that almost connected with his back. Everyone was stunned.

"What the-?" Amber shot her revolver forcing Van Grimmig to let got.

"Something wrong, Amber?" There was a playfulness to his tone that made Amber grit her teeth. Rocketing forward, again, Amber opted to not use her semblance, and went for a head on attack. With seemingly effortless ease Van Grimmig either dodged, or brushed her flurry of strikes away. The more he did it the angrier Amber became, and her strikes were aiming to hit even harder than before. Still, she was keeping track of her current bullet count, and when her heels were empty she backed off to reload. However, when she tossed the bullets out to reload Van Grimmig bolted forward. While Amber was spinning on one heel to reload the other heel mid-air, Van Grimmig grabbed her leg in the air, and pushed forward. Amber lost her balance as her leg was forced upward, and she fell onto her back. A glint of light rushed past her head, and for a second her heart stopped. Van Grimmig was over her, his silver eyes piercing her blue eyes, and a rather large knife was embedded into the tiled floor not even an inch from her head. When he spoke his voice was both kind, and over powering, "Had this been real you would be dead." Amber didn't respond; her heart was still racing, and audibly beating in her chest. Then, she felt something being pressed into her hand, and Van Grimmig stood up while removing his knife from the floor. Looking at her hand revealed that Van Grimmig had slipped her his card with an address on it. Sitting up, she glared at him with a look of bitter confusion. He just continued to smile as he gave her a friendly wave goodbye, and exited the arena.


	59. The Man Who Conducts

The Neuanfang was still spitting out embers, and the occasional flame when the Conductor entered the ruins of Lakehurst. Some nevermore's had landed to feast of some of the corpses of the dead townsfolk; cawing at each other if one tried to steal their food. None of the creatures of Grimm bothered the Conductor as he walked through the streets with the seer floating next to him. Salem had tasked him with retrieving Mimi from the wreckage so that she can keep up her end of their deal. He adjusted his hat as he continued to search for her when he saw a deathstalker in the distance standing over something, and keeping some nevermores away from it. When he approached the deathstalker looked at him, then at the seer, and took a few steps back revealing two bodies lying in the road. "Well, Well. Looks like I've finally found you, Miss Valus," he said with an amused tone as he noted who the other body belonged to. "And, it looks like you got what you wanted." Mimi didn't respond. Deciding to take a closer look, the Conductor knelt down next to Mimi's body, and turned her over onto her back. The sight of her gave him pause for a few seconds, but Salem's voice snapped him out of it.

"It appears there really _are_ still some mysteries left on Remnant." Her face appeared in the crystal ball, and the seer hovered down to get a better look at Mimi. The black ooze was slowly trying to retake the exposed parts of Mimi's body back, but the process was excruciatingly slow given the damage she'd sustained. The Conductor removed his glove, and pressed a hand against Mimi's human cheek.

"Cold," he stated flatly. He moved his hand to over her mouth. "Still breathing, though." Although he could tell she was out cold, Mimi's eyelids weren't completely closed, and the Conductor saw her dead, human eye staring off at nothing.

"You're hesitant," Salem spoke looking from Mimi to the Conductor, "Does her appearance frighten you that much to give you pause?"

"Not her appearance, no." The Conductor slide his arms under Mimi, and picked her up bridal style. Salem watched with a bemused expression.

"In any case, bring her to the safe house in Fairgard so she can recover in peace." The seer returned to its normal hovering height. "I need her ready."

The Conductor bowed, "Of course, Mistress." Satisfied, the crystal ball clouded once more, and Salem's attention was placed elsewhere. "Now the, Miss Valus, let's get you a nice bed to rest on, and a warm drink. You have a lot of work ahead of you." As he started to walk down the road that would take him to his carriage he heard scuttling behind him. The deathstalker was following him. While Salem had marked him as an ally to the Grimm the Conductor still didn't feel fully at ease around them; especially ones that acted weird. "While I appreciate you safeguarding her from the nevermores, I'll be taking things from here, thank you." He wasn't sure if it understood him, or not, but he wasn't sure what else to do. When he started walking, so too did the deathstalker start scuttling along with him. It followed him all the way to his carriage, and the horses got antsy at its approach. The Conductor gave a heavy sigh. "Look, while I appreciate the help, I don't have room for you, and you would only cause problems. So…go on…shew." The deathstalker just stared at him with a blank expression. Or, rather, it was staring at Mimi. Noticing this the Conductor started to think. _Fairgard is quite a ways away, and when word gets out about this there'll be tighter road guards._ He started tapping his foot in frustration. He knew every city, town, village, and hamlet in Vale, and there were a few along the way that would want to search his carriage; Mimi would assuredly be discovered. _But…If she wasn't in the carriage to begin with…_ The Conductor stopped tapping his foot, and he turned to the deathstalker. "Tell you what; you seem fairly smart, and you've proven you want to protect her, so let's make an arrangement." The deathstalker's head twitched to the side. _Maybe this thing actually can understand me._ "The route is too dangerous for me to get Miss Valus to where she needs to be in a timely manner without causing trouble. But, if you take her, and follow my carriage from afar while staying hidden we can fulfill our Mistress' task." No movement from the deathstalker. _Did I use too many words for what little brains it has?_ The Conductor bit his lower lip in frustration. _Alright, let's try this._ "You can protect her if you follow me," he said, and made a motion to offer Mimi to it. To his surprise, the deathstalker scuttled over to him, took Mimi in one of its claws, and placed her on its back between its plates so she wouldn't fall off. _…Huh. Would you look at that._ Once Mimi was secured, the deathstalker turned its attention back to the Conductor, and seemed to be waiting for him to continue. _Guess these things are getting smarter after all._ He amused the thought for a bit, before climbing onto the carriage, and getting the horses on their way. Looking back, he saw the deathstalker keeping pace about thirty feet back while they were making their way through Lakehurst. Once they reached the forest to Lakehurst's east the deathstalker diverged from the road, and started scuttling through the trees. The Conductor wasn't concerned with it wandering off course since the seer Grimm floated towards where the deathstalker went. _Probably to make sure it stays out of the way while still knowing where to go._ He didn't mind, though, as the Conductor was used to traveling long distances alone. There was a faint breeze in the air that rustled the leaves that were starting to change color for the coming fall. The conductor leaned back in his seat, and stared up into the overcast sky above. _Days like this really bring me back…_

* * *

The boy sprinted through the forest as fast as he could. He was a scoundrel, a crook who stole to survive, and never stayed in a single place for too long, because things like this would happen. The day was calm with overcast skies when a gunshot rang out, and he felt his left leg give out from under him. He collapsed to the ground spilling the bag of stolen food he'd just taken. The boy wasn't particularly well trained, and his aura was rather weak which made him hug his leg that was screaming in pain. His canine ears twitched, and soon the horses arrived. There were three horses with three riders.

The one in the middle who'd shot him spoke, "Well now, boys, looks like we caught ourselves a stray mutt." The two other men laughed, and the man in the middle got off his horse. He looked down at the Faunus boy with utter disgust, and grabbed him by one of his dog ears to yank him up. "We here don't take kindly to thieves," he spat in the boy's face, "'Specially a dirty Faunus." The other two men got off their horses, and collected the stolen food.

"Boss?" One of the men spoke up causing the one holding the boy's ear to look over. The one who'd called held a piece of bread with a bit mark out of it. "Looks like we won't be able to return everything."

"Really now?" The boss turned his attention back to the boy. "Well, looks like we'll just have to take payment another way." The man put down his rifle, and took out a large hunting knife. With one swift motion of his hand, the man cut one of the boy's dog ears off. The boy cried out in pain, and clutched his head. "Now now," the boss taunted, "The loaf of bread is worth two Lien, and I only got one ear." He reached down, and cut the other ear from the boy's head. The boss kicked the boy, "Aw cheer up, I did you a favor. Now you don't look like a dirty animal anymore. Now you're just a kid shit outta lu-," his voice trailed off as when he looked up his eyes locked with two beady red orbs in the bushes in front of him. "WHA-!?" He tried to scream, but the beowolf was too close, and pounced onto the man. The Grimm ripped through his aura in a matter of seconds, and tore him apart. The two other men leveled their rifles, and were about to shoot, but were ambushed by the rest of the first beowolf's pack. The boy had stopped screaming when the beowolf first took out the boss. He had no aura, he was bleeding heavily, and he was surrounded by Grimm. So, he laughed. He laughed as the man who took his ears was devoured in front of him.

"SERVES YOU RIGHT!" he shouted, "YOU WORTHLESS, FUCKING HUMANS!"

"They are worthless, aren't they?" The boy stopped shouting as a strange voice came from behind him. Turning around he saw that the other beowolves weren't attacking him, and a new Grimm had appeared; it looked like a floating crystal ball with teeth with a woman's face in it. The woman looked down at the Faunus boy on his knees covered in blood, and tears. "So worthless that wouldn't you love to see them wiped from the face of Remnant?" One of the seer's tendrils floated up as if it were a hand being offered to him. The boy only had to think for a moment before making his decision.

* * *

The Conductor opened his eyes to find that he'd traveled far enough that the sun was coming out. The seer still wasn't there, but he felt like something was watching him from the tree line, so he assumed that the deathstalker was still following behind. He sighed, wiped the sleep from his eyes, and adjusted his cap as he silently rode on to the next town.


	60. Cool Winter Days

… _I feel…warm…?_ The last thing Mimi remembered was passing out after killing Shiro in the ruins of Lakehurst. Everything was still dark as her eyes refused to open, but she was starting to feel again. _…Hello…?_ Something was wrong with her ears as everything sounded extremely muffled, but she was certain someone was talking. _…Am I…still at Lakehurst…?_ It hurt to think for too long, and she would feel herself get pulled back into the calm void of unconsciousness. It was peaceful; a peace Mimi hadn't known for a long time. Whenever she would find her consciousness stirring there was a feeling of warmth that was enveloping her. _…A blanket…?_ After a few times she was starting to get tactile feedback, and she could tell the warmth around her was from a cloth that was tucked around her. _…Am I in a bed…?_ As her mind continued to stir there was a sense of wanting that would take hold of her whenever she slipped back into unconsciousness. When she was drifting through the void there would be a light in the distance with faint voices. Usually it was too far away to hear, or properly see, but with every trip to the void the light would grow brighter. Eventually she could make out the voices. She heard her mother. Desperately, she reached out to the light with her right arm; her human arm. She wasn't able to reach. When she was aware in the waking world she would feel warm, but the light would be gone. Each slip into the void brought the light closer, and the voices became clearer. There were even vaguely humanoid looking shapes in the light. Mimi opened her mouth, but no words came out. Yet, one of the shapes seemed to turn towards her as she tried. It was oddly feminine, and familiar to Mimi as the figure held its 'arms' open ready for an embrace. Mimi again reached for the light; every inch she drew closer she could make out more of the voices, and she heard her mother humming a lullaby. _…Mom?!_ But, when she was about to reach the light her arm was quickly stopped. A tendril of black ooze covered her legs, and was snaking its way up her body. _NO!_ Mimi stretched her arm out further in desperation trying to reach the light, but the black ooze continued to envelop her. _MOM!_ _**…Please…**_ Mimi glanced behind her as a new voice appeared to whisper in her ear. The ooze was on her back, and looked like a vaguely human shape was hunching over her; her Grimm mask was on its 'face'. It wrapped itself around her neck. _**…Don't…leave…us…**_ The tendrils began snatching her arm, and pulling Mimi back into the darkness away from the light. The figure in the light seemed alarmed at this, and leaned out of the light with their arm now outstretched. Try as she might, though, Mimi couldn't fight the black ooze that was enveloping her, and she sank back into the darkness. _**…Don't…leave…me…**_

* * *

Brought to consciousness again, Mimi found that she could open her eyes this time. She quickly shut them, however, as the light coming in through a window was directly on her face. "Sorry about that." A man's voice spoke calmly to her; she recognized it. _…Conductor guy…?_ She heard blinds be closed, so Mimi tried opening her eyes again. It took a few seconds for them to adjust, but she found that she was lying down on a bed in a log cabin. It was a quaint cabin, rather cute all things considered with an auburn rug, dark green drapes, and dark wood furniture around the room with puffy cushions. The Conductor sat down in a chair next to Mimi's bed, and looked down at her with his usual grin. "Sleep well, Miss Valus?" Mimi tried sitting up, but quickly fell back into bed when the world started spinning. She had a massive headache. "Not quite all there yet, are you?" Mimi rubbed her head with her right hand; it was back to its usual Grimm state. _Gaaah…What's with this headache._ There was something there, Mimi could feel it, but she just couldn't remember. Was it a dream she was forgetting? Either way, the more she tried to remember the more her head hurt, so she put it to the back of her mind, and refocused on where she was. _Well…this definitely isn't Lakehurst._ There was a fireplace with a crackling fire along the opposite wall from her. _Why is there a fire going in fall? It's not that co-_ She cut off her own thoughts as she looked at the Conductor who was wearing full winter clothing, and whose boots were tracking in snow. _Snow?_ Having lived in the deserts of Vacuo her whole life, Mimi had only ever read about the mythical weather known as 'snow' in books. The Conductor saw her expression, and placed a journal, and pencil next to Mimi on the bed. "I assume you have questions." Regaining herself, Mimi took up the journal, and noticed that when she tossed the blanket off of her body that she felt the air had a crispness to it that the blanket was protecting her from.

" _Where are we?_ "

"Near the eastern coast of Vale by a little town known as Fairgard." He smirked as he continued, "And, it's the dead of winter out here." Mimi stared at him blankly.

" _How long was I asleep?_ " Although she wanted to know, Mimi was dreading the answer.

"About four months." There was a brief moment of silence between the two before Mimi dropped her journal. _Four months?_ Mimi cast her gaze to the floor. _I was out that long?_ Again, something was fighting its way to the forefront of Mimi's mind, but it was blurry. She grabbed her head as the headache returned. "Bit of a shock, ain't it?" The Conductor stood up, and went over to the kitchen where there was a pot on the stove with warm soup waiting for him. Mimi kicked her feet over the edge of the bed, and slowly stood up making sure not to go too fast, or she would collapse right back down. The Conductor watched her with a bemused expression on his face. "You should probably stay a while longer, Miss Valus. After all, you've an agreement to fulfill, and should be in top shape to tackle it." Mimi slowly nodded; she hadn't forgotten her, and Salem's agreement. _So…Now I have to take down the headmaster of Beacon._

" _Thanks, by the way, for saving me._ " That seemed to take the Conductor off guard, but a smile quickly played across his lips. She walked over to a mirror, and inspected her body. The bone plates that were completely destroyed had replaced themselves, while the others simply had healed over with new bone material forming what Mimi could only describe as 'bone scars' for lack of a better term. Her hand unconsciously went to her right eye, but it seemed to be back to its usual red state. She paced around the cabin for a few minutes to wake up her body while the Conductor watched enjoying his bowl of crème & chicken soup. Mimi stopped pacing, and flexed her fingers a few times before giving a nod, and turning towards the Conductor.

"Ready?" Another nod from Mimi. "Alright then." He slurped down the rest of the soup, and zipped up his coat before leading Mimi out the door. A cold wind whipped them as it was a rather chilly afternoon. The Conductor took a few steps before realizing that Mimi wasn't following him. Turning around, he saw Mimi standing in the doorway staring down at the snow. "What?" He cocked an eyebrow. "It's just sno-…Oh, right; you're from Vacuo." It was Mimi's first experience with snow. She took a deep breath of the cold winter air. While she wasn't affected by the cold she could still feel its icy grip. However, when she tried to take her first step out , and put her weight down on the snow she sank into the snow about a foot, and a half. Mimi yelped in surprise as a chill ran up her leg, and she jumped back into the cabin. She heard the Conductor stifle a laugh. Her glare was met with a smug grin. _Smarmy little…stupid, freezing snow…_ Bitter thoughts mulled over in her head as she returned to the doorway. "Any time now, Miss Valus." _Shut it._ This time she was ready, and Mimi slowly lowered her foot into the snow. It was a little uncomfortable, but she trudged forward. "Nice of you to join us." Mimi was about to snap at him, but realized what he said. _Us?_

 _ **Affirmation.**_ Rising from his resting spot buried in snow rose a rather large deathstalker. Snow was sent flying as Vet violently shook his body to get the snow clumps off his back. Mimi, and the Conductor were pelted with snow. _**Apologies.**_

"Petue. Damned Grimm." The Conductor brushed himself off, and Mimi shook herself.

 _Good to see you again, Vet._ She smiled. _You holding up?_

 _ **Affirmation.**_ He scuttled closer to them, and Mimi patted his head. The Conductor watched on in amazement at a deathstalker being treated like a dog, but just sighed in contempt.

"Anyway," he stated drawing Mimi, and Vet's attention, "You already know what to do, Miss Valus, and this deathstalker here will be your escort to him." Mimi cocked her head to the side.

" _You're not taking me?_ "

The Conductor shook his head, "Mistress Salem has need of me elsewhere, and this deathstalker is more than capable of bringing you to your target in a timely manner. Also," his voice took on a more sinister tone, "There are pieces at play that I would do well to avoid." Again, Mimi cocked her head to the side at this, but the Conductor said nothing more on it. "The headmaster is still at Beacon academy, so that will be your goal. There shouldn't be to many people on the roads due to the weather so I don't expect you to get into any trouble." The Conductor brought his feet together, put a hand over his chest, and gave a bow. "It was a pleasure watching you work, Miss Valus, and I wish you the best." Mimi smiled as she felt a genuineness in his voice, and his scent tasted sweet.

" _I'm sure I'll see you again when I go after Frost._ "

The Conductor chuckled, "It would be my pleasure, Miss Valus." Mimi climbed onto Vet's back, and after getting their bearings from the Conductor, set off towards Beacon.


	61. A Moment of Your Time

_**Mild Concern.**_

 _Oh, quit your belly aching._

 _ **Confusion.**_

 _Yes, I know your stomach isn't actually aching, but that's just how the saying goes._ Mimi was lazily riding on Vet's back enjoying the crisp air while Vet scuttled along through the snow. The two had been traveling for a few days at a ginger pace making sure to stay far enough away from the road that they could hide, but close enough to be able to follow it as a guide. Mimi decided to pass the time one of the days by inspecting her body. After she had recovered from her comatose state she'd found that her body had undergone another change. She had two, small bone antlers sticking out of her head just above her ears. They were angled back, and only about two inches long, but it was something that would make wearing hoods more difficult in the future if they ever grew bigger. Eventually, they reached the ruins of Lakehurst, and decided to use the road since no one would be here. The Neuanfang still the grave marker visible on the horizon for miles around. Mimi felt nothing as they made their way through the ruins. However, as she was looking at the sky, Vet suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. _Vet?_

 _ **Danger.**_ Mimi sat up immediately as Vet's entire body tensed up, and started to look around. Then her eyes landed on the road ahead of them, and a lone figure wearing a trench coat, with a wide brimmed hat.

 _What gives, Vet? If you sensed him then why didn't you avoid the road?_

 _ **No Presence.**_

 _What?_ Mimi turned her gaze to the man to find that Vet was right; the man standing there had no emotions leaking off of him. She couldn't even see an aura around him. Upon seeing the deathstalker stop, and Mimi sit up, the man spoke in a rather calm voice that had a hint of enthusiasm.

"Salutations, Mimic," the man said as he removed his hat to place it over his chest, and give a courteous bow. "My name is Jager Van Grimmig, scholar by trade, history enthusiast by nature, and former huntsman of Vale pulled out of retirement." _Former?_ Mimi raised an eyebrow. _It's only been about two decades since their inception…there are huntsman already retiring?_ "If I may," Van Grimmig continued, "Might I have a moment of your time?" Although she still didn't taste any negative emotions coming from Van Grimmig, Mimi felt the air become heavy as a tension began to brew.

 _Wait here._ Mimi hopped off Vet's back, and approached Van Grimmig.

 _ **Worried Affirmation.**_ Van Grimmig kept his hat over his chest, and a warm smile on his face as Mimi approached. Looking him over told Mimi he was a well built man, and he must have nerves of steel to calmly stand before both Mimi, and Vet. She stopped roughly twenty feet away from Van Grimmig. Their eyes were locked, and Mimi waited for Van Grimmig to continue.

"My goodness," he breathed out with a sigh, "You truly do have sentience." _…Excuse me?_ Mimi grit her teeth, and let out a low growl at that. Van Grimmig chuckled, and raised his free hand apologetically. "Apologies, Mimic, please. It's just…standing here in front of you, talking with you, just makes the scholar in me scream for joy. Well, 'talking' is subjective in this case, but I digress." He motioned towards her, "Unless, can you talk?" Mimi slowly shook her head. "No, but you can understand." Van Grimmig's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas. "Utterly fascinating." Mimi cocked her head to one side, and gave Van Grimmig a confused look. Flustered, he again raised an apologetic hand. "Again, you must forgive me. I spend my days pouring over books, and scouring ruins to understand history, and how our world works. So, when faced with a living anomaly I lose my composure." _Well…he's at least well spoken, so I'll give him that._ Deciding to play along, Mimi opened one of her belt pouches, and took out her journal. Van Grimmig watched in amazement as she began to write.

" _Is there something I can help you with, Van Grimmig, or can my friend, and I move on?_ "

"Writing!" Mimi jumped a little as Van Grimmig's excitement got the better of him. "You not only understand our language, but can use it as well!" He looked up at the clouds with a vacant expression. "Oh, when I tell Hutchenson about this he's going to lose his mind." Mimi tapping on the journal brought him back to reality. "Ah, yes. Well, you see I have been tasked with cleaning up a mess that the headmaster of Beacon academy can't seem to be able to."

" _Me, I'm guessing?_ "

"That would be correct." He seemed rather torn about it for a second. "However, while I would love nothing more than to interview you further as you seem to be rather versed in our language, I am not here as Van Grimmig, the scholar." The heaviness in the air grew, but Van Grimmig still had no anger, or any negative emotions around him. "I am here as Van Grimmig, the silver huntsman of Vale." Mimi barely had any time to react as, with blinding speed, Van Grimmig drew, and fired a hand crossbow. The bolt sailed through the air at unnatural speed, but Mimi was able to dodge with only a glancing hit that sliced through her skin. Mimi winced, and as the bolt passed her she saw that the bolt wasn't made of wood, or metal. The bolt was a solid yellow dust crystal. "Superb reaction speed, and reflexes." Mimi looked up at Van Grimmig with a confused look. There was no anger, or even a hint of negative emotions that would normally be a tell for when someone was about to use their weapon. Instead, he was quite pleased about all this. Gritting her teeth, Mimi's eyes flashed, and a hand crossbow materialized in her hand. "Ah, there it is," Van Grimmig said, "You certainly live up to your title in that regard, but…" Van Grimmig lunged forward with such speed that it caught Mimi off guard, and her bolt missed completely, "Let's see if you're a Mimic in name alone." Flicking his wrist, the hand crossbow transformed itself into a rather large hunting knife whose blade tip was a newly reloaded yellow dust bolt. _Shit!_ Mimi cursed to herself, as she activated her semblance again, and deflected the blow of Van Grimmig thrusting at her head with her own knife that had materialized. "So, your weapons can't transform? You have to materialize each form individually?" _Stop playing twenty questions, and_ _ **fight!**_ Digging through his muscle memories, Mimi found one that would work well in the current situation. With her left hand, she grabbed Van Grimmig's outstretched wrist, and spun on her heels yanking him off his feet. Mimi brought her knife down hard, but found that it didn't connect as Van Grimmig allowed himself to fall, and used the momentum to dodge the blow. Landing on his feet, and spinning his wrist he reversed the grip, and got a hold of Mimi's wrist. Doing the same move done to him, Van Grimmig attempted to yank Mimi off her feet, but she had more brute strength than him, and didn't budge. Using the pause, Mimi spun, and rolled up along Van Grimmig's arm until they were back-to-back. Using the bone spike on her elbow she attempted to stab the back of his stomach, but found her blow deflected by his aura. _What!?_ Quickly turning her head to look Mimi confirmed that she couldn't see an aura around Van Grimmig, but its effects were all to obvious. _Invisible auras!?_

 _ **Dodge.**_ Instinctually, Mimi used her size, and position as leverage to free her wrist from Van Grimmig's grasp, and leapt out of the way as Vet charged in grabbing Van Grimmig in one of his claws.

"Two against one?" Van Grimmig said in a mocking tone.

 _ **Affirmation.**_ Vet slammed Van Grimmig down into the snow covered ground, before lifting him up, and hurtling him into a nearby building that was still barely standing. Van Grimmig crashed through the front door, and disappeared into the darkness.

 _Nice one!_

 _ **Affir-.**_ Mimi blinked, as three yellow dust bolts sailed out of the building, and pierced two of Vet's eyes. Vet screeched out in pain, and started flailing.

 _Vet!_ Mimi tried to calm him down, but that was next to impossible. Nothing can calm down a Grimm when it's pissed off. Scuttling over to the building, Vet crashed through the front wall all the while snapping his claws at where the bolts came from.

"While certainly deadly, deathstalkers are far less dangerous once you know how to deal with them." The building was an inn, and Van Grimmig was in the rafters above Vet. He fired three more bolts into Vet's back that pierced his bone plates. Vet screeched once again, and flailed at the rafters. However, the building was already barely standing, and Vet's thrashing was the final straw. All three stories came crashing down on top of Vet as the support beams were destroyed by his thrashing.

 _VET!_ Mimi shielded her eyes as a shock wave of debris flew out of the building. _VET!? Can you hear me?!_ She waited with her thoughts outstretched towards the collapsed building, but only silence answered her.

"That solves one Grimm." Mimi turned her head as out of the smoke burst two yellow dust bolts that pierced Mimi in her right shoulder. Van Grimmig emerged from the debris cloud unscathed. "One more to go."


	62. Legacy of the Huntsman

The ruins of Lakehurst were normally a quiet place. However, the forsaken streets were echoing the sounds of battle as Mimi, and Van Grimmig engaged each other in fierce combat. It was from this battle that Mimi realized just how much an advantage it was when no one knew about her, or her ability. Van Grimmig seemed to be effortlessly blocking, and parrying Mimi strikes despite the fact that she knew she was moving faster than him. _What is with this guy?_ She thought bitterly to herself as another stab with her knife was deflected away. There was still no response from Vet, so Mimi moved ahead assuming the worst. There was also the issue of Van Grimmig's aura being invisible, which meant Mimi had no idea how much damage she was actually doing to him. _And, he still has that_ _ **damned**_ _calm expression on his stupid face!_ Even since they began their skirmish Van Grimmig's emotions had been in complete check with not a single drop of fear leaving his body. _And people say I'm a monster._ Another blow was deflected, and Mimi barely managed to parry the return thrust from Van Grimmig. While not as extreme as Shiro's semblance, Van Grimmig's dust blades were chipping away at Mimi's bone knife which forced her to materialize new ones after only a few hits. She went for another stab at his chest, but her hand was swiftly deflected as Van Grimmig swung his blade. Keeping the momentum of his swing, Van Grimmig transformed his knife into a hand crossbow, spun on his heel taking a step back, and fired three bolts. The first two missed as Mimi dodged, but wasn't so lucky with the third, which pierced her left shin. Using her right leg, Mimi kicked off the ground with such force that she leapt back thirty feet. Van Grimmig watched ammusidly as she ripped the dust bolt from her shin, and tossed it aside. _What is he_ _ **toying with me now?**_ Mimi grit her teeth, and a low growl left her throat as she glared at Van Grimmig. She tried the trick she'd used against Shiro, and allowed Van Grimmig's knife to partially cut through hers to give her some leverage, but Van Grimmig kept his cool, and shoulder tackled her causing Mimi to let go of her knife.

"I will admit," Van Grimmig spoke in a matter of fact tone, "Your speed, and strength match some of the toughest creatures of Grimm I've faced. However, therein lies your defeat." He transformed his weapon back into a knife, and started tossing it into the air. "I've faced stronger. I've faced faster. While your mimicry is certainly a terrifying factor if you take the time to understand it then it's nothing to be truly concerned over." Mimi narrowed her eyes. _Complimenting me, and insulting me at the same time is annoying,_ _ **asshole**_ _._ "You use my fighting style against me. While scary, this has a major flaw of what happens when you face someone who's mastered their technique, like myself." _Couldn't resist patting yourself on the back, could ya?_ "So, I would like to ask you to surrender." _…Come again?_ Mimi raised an eyebrow, and cocked her head to the side. Van Grimmig continued, "As you are now you have no hope of defeating me. You also seem to have some semblance of a conscience." He caught his knife, and looked Mimi in the eyes. "After all, you initially held back against team JADE on the Neuanfang when they confronted you, did you not?" Mimi grit her teeth as that memory came back to her. "I'm also told that you befriended Miss. Jade Everglen." Mimi's left hand twitched at mention of that name, and Van Grimmig picked up on it. "I see. Yet, even though she was a friend you _did_ end up killing her." Mimi's body froze. "While I don't know the specifics of what transpired, nor will I attempt to claim to, might I call upon that friendship now?" Much to Mimi's surprise, Van Grimmig sheathed his knife. "Let us end this peacefully. Allow me to take you in as a willing test subject." _…Test subject?_ Seeing her confusion Van Grimmig explained, "You are a new breed of Grimm that has never been seen before, and I, along with the rest of Remnant, would like to understand you." He gave a sigh, "I will not lie; you would lose your freedom taking my offer, but isn't that better than continuing on this road of corpses you've paved?" He gestured around at the destroyed buildings, and at the Neuanfang. Mimi relaxed her stance, and cast her gaze to the ground. Jade's words for not wanting innocents dead echoed in her mind. _Can I still even keep that promise?_ Seeing her reaction Van Grimmig pushed further, "Please, I'm offering you a chance to make things right. Make the right choice." _…Right choice?_ Mimi's entire body tensed up at that line. Choice. What choice was there? _Either come with me as a slave…or die here like a dog…?_ That wasn't a choice, it was an ultimatum.

As her thoughts traveled down that road, unknown memories started to emerge. She was in an unfamiliar home, she was a young girl, and she had a bookshelf full of comics. Mimi brought her hands to her head as the unknown memories continued to pour through. Van Grimmig's hand instinctually hovered over his knife. _What…Is…This…?!_ Day in, and day out she would read her comics, and when she wasn't reading she was out in the yard practicing with a stick that was as tall as she was. _These…Aren't…Mine…?!_ Mimi shook her head to regain her grip on reality, but the memories continued; they almost seemed to force themselves up from somewhere deep within her. The girl's mother was the only parental figure who was around. However, there would be days that the girl would be excited as she waited at the front gate of her home for the person who could only be her father to return after a long day of work. And he would; a successful huntsman who wore a green cloak. How the girl admired her father; he was the hero from her comics in real life. But, all heroes eventually fall, and the strongest memory of them all to surface was of the girl waiting at the front gate of her home for a father that would no longer be able to return. _…She never had a choice…_ Mimi stopped clutching her head, and slowly lowered her arms. _Right from the beginning her path was decided._ Her fists clenched, and she began to shake. _This world made norms out of_ _ **valiant battles**_ _. Of_ _ **mighty heroes**_ _battling_ _ **monsters**_ _._ Mimi's gaze lifted to rest on Van Grimmig, the legendary silver hunstman of Vale. The memories burned brightly in her mind, and although she didn't know where they came from, Mimi felt deep down that they were all too real. It disgusted her. This was the world the former king of Vale created? _This world that_ _ **forced**_ _heroes into existence?!_ Mimi's eyes flashed as her semblance activated, and with a sudden burst of speed, leapt towards Van Grimmig. She was only ten feet from Van Grimmig when, suddenly, Mimi was engulfed by a blinding light. Van Grimmig had hoped to avoid such an end, but Mimi's mad charge forced his hand, and he activated his silver eyes. He argued it would be over the quickest, and she wouldn't feel too much pain. When the light subsided, Van Grimmig took in deep breaths as using his silver eyes tired him out due to his age. With a final sigh he looked up to see that Mimi had made it to around five feet from him, and was completely stone. Looking up further he saw that the glaive Mimi had materialized was also stone, and a mere foot away from his head as she had attempted to do a downward slash against him. Although she was stone, Van Grimmig still stepped to the side out of the arc of the attack. "I see you choose poorly." In her current state she was useless as a test subject, and he wouldn't get any of the answers he sought. He was about to turn to leave when he heard the stone start to crack. "Well, I suppose I'll at least see you off." Van Grimmig fully faced Mimi. "May you find peace in whatever afterlife awaited you, mimic." However, his solemn attitude quickly changed into one of complete shock as Mimi didn't crumble into dust. Instead, the stone was like a cocoon that crumbled away leaving a very human corpse to collapse to the ground. Van Grimmig was stunned as he looked down at the female corpse that was lying in the snow in front of him. Her skin was deathly pale, her black hair was matted, and he could count all her ribs. Snapping out of his daze, he knelt down, and turned the girl over. "Eyes completely glazed over…Scars lining the body…" He softly muttered to himself as he inspected her frail form. Then, his eyes caught the faintest movements coming from her mouth. Curious, Van Grimmig opened her mouth, and looked down her throat. What he saw would have made any normal man feint; there was black ooze lining her throat that seemed to retreat further into her body when he opened her mouth. "…Amazing…" He would have loved to study her further, but a sudden gust of wind reminded him of where he was, and so he quickly brought the corpse to his car that was parked just outside of town. Using some tarps he kept in the trunk, Van Grimmig wrapped up Mimi's body, and gently laid her down in the trunk. He closed the trunk lid, and held his hands there for a few seconds as his brain tried to process what he just saw. "Fascinating." He repeated the word to himself under his breath as he climbed into his car, and drove up the road back to the city of Vale.


	63. Controlling History

Van Grimmig owned a private laboratory near the outskirts of the city of Vale. There were only a handful of cars in the parking lot as he vetted every staff member who worked for him. However, seeing Van Grimmig walk through the front door with the corpse of a young woman in his arms sent the receptionist on edge. "Doctor?!"

Van Grimmig lowered his head, "My apologies, Madelyn, but I'm going to have to ask you to hold the three o'clock meeting I was going to have." Being a ruins delver, his secretary Madelyn had seen Van Grimmig bring though the front door a whole plethora of things that would make others raise eyebrows. This was, however, the first time she'd seen him bring in a human corpse that didn't look hundreds of years old. Still, she trusted him enough to not have plundered a local graveyard, and buzzed him through the security doors to the inner labs. He went to his personal room, and laid Mimi's corpse down on an examination table. After tossing his coat, and hat onto a coat rack, Van Grimmig washed his hands, and put on proper, sterile medical attire. "Now then…" He spoke to himself as he walked over to the table, and looked down at Mimi's corpse. There was no change from when he had picked her up; it was still a human corpse. The overhead light was turned on, and using some tweezers he parted her lips for a better examination. He had only briefly registered it while in Lakehurst, but now he was fully able to see that all her teeth were razor sharp, and ended in points. Poking one, and trying to move it with his finger showed that it was, indeed, her teeth, and not just something that was stuck up in her gums. A small movement caught his attention, and he grabbed a small flashlight from a drawer, turned it on, and put it in his mouth. Van Grimmig put one hand on top of Mimi's head, and the other on her jaw, and opened her mouth wide. There were small strands of what looked to be black ooze that was snaking its way along the back of her throat. It wasn't advancing, just wiggling around. "So, you've come out now that it's not as cold, eh?" Leaving it for later, Van Grimmig put her head back down, and went to work on examining the scars that littered her body. There were a few open wounds that he knew were caused by their battle, but that only told a fraction of her tale. Stab wounds from knives, and blades. Bullet entrance, and exit scars. Her body was a tapestry of the aftermaths from countless battles. However, when he lifted her arm he was amazed to find that it held its shape. Surely with all the scars along her body her bones would be shattered by now? But, as he continued his inspection, Van Grimmig found that all her bones were completely intact, and healthy judging from the amount of pressure he was able to put on some of them. "Amazing…" He uttered under his breath. "Could it be…you?" He motioned towards Mimi's mouth, and the black ooze that was within. "Are you holding this body together?" Van Grimmig reached for a scalpel to open her up for a closer look, but heard a commotion from outside his door. It sounded like heavy footsteps. Van Grimmig turned towards the door just in time to see it open, and for men dressed in full combat attire enter the room. They had shoulder emblems on depicting Vale's flag.

"Doctor Van Grimmig, step away from the table, and put your hands in the air," The man's voice was slightly distorted as he, along with the rest of the unit, was wearing a gas mask. There were five of them total once they fully entered the room. Van Grimmig recognized them as the Cleaner unit; a special forces unit under the direct command of the Vale Council. Weapons Van Grimmig had never seen before were trained on him, and the squad leader repeated, "Step away from the table, Doctor."

In a low, calm voice Van Grimmig responded, "On whose orders?"

"On the orders of the Vale Council; you are to step away from the table, and hand over the mimic subject, Doctor Van Grimmig." Van Grimmig knew better than to test the Cleaner's patience, and that there were probably more team members hiding in the shadows. Begrudgingly, he stepped away from the table, and raised his hands into the air. The leader made a hand gesture, and two of the five walked over to the table. "Is that the target?"

"Yes, it is." Van Grimmig's eyes widened as Ozpin stepped through the door, and stood next to the Cleaner leader. One of the two by Mimi pulled a body bag out of his backpack, and went to work carefully putting Mimi's corpse inside.

"You…"

"You're messing with things you know nothing about, Van Grimmig." Ozpin spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, and held a neutral expression on his face.

"I am one of the top scientists in Vale. We need to study the mimic if w-"

"And we will study the mimic, Doctor." Ozpin cut him off. "But, the study will be done in a more…controlled environment than your personal lab as well as with a more filtered staff." Van Grimmig betrayed no emotions as he continued to stare down Ozpin. The Cleaner finished packing Mimi's corpse, and tossed her over his shoulder.

The leader put a finger to his ear, "Target secured for extraction." The Cleaners filed out of the room, and Ozpin began to follow.

"What did you do?" Van Grimmig's voice was low, and held a threatening edge to it. Ozpin didn't even turn around to respond.

"I promised them security." Van Grimmig raised an eyebrow at this. "While you may be one of Vale's top scientists you have also blocked all attempts at government oversight as to what goes on here, or share your findings with the Council." Ozpin paused for a moment, and turned his head to look back at Van Grimmig. "I simply told them you had the mimic's corpse, and offered them to use one of the research labs already studying the creatures of Grimm that I oversee in my free time; full oversight privileges."

"You would compromise our potential understanding of this creature just to take credit?"

"No." Ozpin's response was assertive, and his eyes held daggers. "I don't care for taking the credit. What I do care for is knowing what it is that is being discovered, so that we may make proper decisions on how to proceed with the findings." There was a long silence between the two. Then, Van Grimmig spoke in a quiet, soft voice.

"You're trying to bury this."

"If that is the best course of action then yes," Ozpin turned fully towards Van Grimmig, "I will bury this until the light of day never shines upon it again if it means the safety of Remnant is maintained."

"Maintained? That Grimm…that girl caused the deaths of countless citizens! It brought down an airship sparking an international incident! The people of Vale, of Remnant, have a right to know what threats are out there! What threats stole their loved ones away from them!"

"Do they?" Van Grimmig lost his voice when Ozpin responded. Continuing to speak was pointless, and he knew it. He, and the headmaster would never see things in the same light, because the headmaster wasn't even looking at the same picture. Once again, Ozpin turned to leave. "You are barred from going near the laboratory that the mimic will be studied at. And, I don't think I need to say what will happen if you break this rule." And, with that, Ozpin left. Van Grimmig was left alone in his lab; the silence was being more oppressive than usual. He stood there for a few minutes collecting his thoughts. Giving a sigh, Van Grimmig walked to the entrance of his lab. A few of the staff still looked terrified from seeing armed soldiers march through as he passed them in the hall. He adjusted his coat, and hat before turning to Madelyn.

"I will be stepping out for the rest of the day, Madelyn. Also, if you could please tell the rest of the staff they can head home for the day, that would be appreciated." he told her, and she nodded silently with a grave expression on her face. The cold air greeted him as he stepped outside. The Cleaners, and Ozpin were already gone, and there was a clear patch in the parking lot where a helicopter had cleared away the snow. His car was covered in snow. Van Grimmig merely rolled his eyes, and went to work clearing it off all the while thinking about what he was going to do. Once the snow was cleared he hopped inside, started the engine, and drove into the city. He had someone he wanted to see.


	64. The Snow Covered Conspiracy

During the winter months after a fresh snowfall the city of Vale becomes a melancholic place for the first few hours. Adults were at work. Children were at school. Most everyone was inside leaving the streets a quiet stretch of white; except for one person. Amber had on a dark orange coat, long black pants, and snow boots as she crunched her way through the perfectly packable snow. She was surprised when she had received his call to meet him at some park near the center of Vale; it was the dead of winter. What surprised her more, and the reason she was even humoring this trip, was the message he sent; 'Do you want to be able to defeat the mimic?' The message illuminated the screen of her scroll as she glanced down at it while standing in the archway of the park's entrance gate. It was still noon so no one would really be around for another few hours which made finding him easier. He was sitting on one of the benches with a pile of snow next to it; leftovers of what he had cleared off to get the seat. Amber took in a deep breath before approaching him. Van Grimmig turned towards her when she approached. "Good afternoon, Ms. Solst." The wind was too nippy for pleasantries.

"What do you want, Professor?" Her voice was monotone with a hint of annoyance.

Van Grimmig chuckled, "What, did you not read the message I sent you?" Amber said nothing. He motioned for her to take a seat next to him.

"I'll stand."

"Suit yourself." Van Grimmig gave a shrug. "Though, I guess I didn't call you here to sit on a bench with an old man, now did I?" He leaned back, and gave a sigh. After a brief pause he continued, "The mimic Grimm has been captured." Amber's entire body twitched, and her eyes widened in surprise. Had they actually done it? Had they actually beate…Wait…

"Captured?"

"Indeed," Van Grimmig brushed some stray snow off the arm rest of the bench, "I was the one who brought her in." He glanced over at Amber, and saw her face had on a rather confused expression as she tried to grasp something. "Is it that hard to grasp?"

"Captured…Not killed?"

"Ah." There it was. Van Grimmig shook his head. "Not killed." Silence fell between them for a few minutes. The wind softly howled between the slumbering branches of the trees creating a somber atmosphere. Finally, she spoke in a whisper.

"Why?" Van Grimmig continued staring forward, and didn't answer. Amber's voice shakily rose. "Why?" He looked at her to see her eyes were becoming red, and tears were forming. They weren't tears of sadness, though, as Van Grimmig saw the building fury in her eyes. "After everything that **monster** did…why isn't it dead?!" Van Grimmig smacked his lips as he thought it over for a few moments.

"Pity?" he said, and brought his left hand up catching Amber's foot that she tried to kick him with. She didn't have on her revolver heels, but her legs instinctively moved anyway. Now she was genuinely furious.

"It's a **FUCKING** Grimm!"

"Not quite."

"Not quite my ass!" She put pressure down on her foot, but Van Grimmig didn't budge an inch.

"I understand your frustration."

"Do you?!" Amber kicked her foot out of Van Grimmig's hand, and faced away from him. "What a load of shit." She started to walk away, but Van Grimmig spoke up.

"I meant what I said in the message."

Amber waived dismissively at him, "If it's already captured then there's shit all I can do about it."

"And, do you believe it will stay that way?" Amber stopped. "We've both seen her in action, Ms. Solst. I have no faith in the cage the headmaster has constructed for her." Amber turned around.

"The headmaster? What does-." She was stopped when Van Grimmig held up his hand. He rose from the bench, brushed himself off, and walked towards her stopping just in front of her. Amber was getting nervous at the tension that was mounting in the air, and started fidgeting. Even though Van Grimmig still held a neutral smile on his face it felt…fake…somehow.

"Blue car."

"What?" Amber was both nervous, and confused now.

"Blue car, red truck, man with a newspaper sipping coffee," he repeated, and made a slight motion with his head to behind him. Amber was about to lean around him, but Van Grimmig quickly spoke. "Use your eyes. Don't let them know."

"Wha-." She was about to ask again, but saw a flash of blue out of the corner of her eyes. She kept her head facing Van Grimmig, and looked with her eyes. Sure enough, a blue car rounded the corner followed by a red truck, and there was a man reading a newspaper at an outdoor coffee shop. "S-…So?"

"The car, and truck have been circling the park since I got here, and wouldn't you say it's a bit chilly to be enjoying your coffee outside?" Amber was already on edge, but now she was visibly shaking. What did he mean by that? They were being watched? "Deep breaths, Ms. Solst, they aren't here for you." Amber raised an eyebrow. "I had hoped they would leave if they saw I was just meeting a student, but it seems they take their jobs rather seriously." Van Grimmig didn't seem fazed by any of this, and was more amused than anything. Amber took some breaths, and tried to calm herself.

"Who are they?"

"In order to answer that I need something from you, Ms. Solst." Again, Amber raised an eyebrow at this.

"Wh-…What?"

"If you wish to continue this conversation, and learn what it will take to truly defeat the mimic then I need you to make a choice." Amber felt a lump form in her throat. "You can either: walk away now, and forget about the mimic living your life how you see fit, or…" He paused.

"Or?"

"Or, you drop out of Beacon, and I accept you as an apprentice teaching you everything I know about being a huntsman." Amber's eyes widened in surprise.

"You want me to drop out?!" She was completely dumbfounded. "But…In order to be a huntsman you have to graduate from an academy!" Van Grimmig shook his head.

"Not quite." He tapped his chest. "Did you know that I never went to a huntsman academy?" Amber was awe-stricken. Van Grimmig nodded, "It's true. While the easiest way of becoming a huntsman is to certainly go through the academy system that the last king of Vale set up there are alternatives." He gestured towards her with his hand, "For example: if you receive a recommendation from a recognized prestigious huntsman, and can pass a combat test for the council of Vale held at Beacon then you can receive huntsman certification." Van Grimmig shrugged, "It's hardly ever used since the headmasters of the academies really don't want people doing that, but it is a valid course of action. Besides," he looked her over, "Something tells me you aren't aiming to be a scholarly huntsman who needs years of book study on how to memorize a hundred different ways to classify a beowolf." Amber's mouth was slightly agape, and she tried to form words to say, but couldn't find them. Van Grimmig put a hand on her shoulder bringing her out of her thoughts. "You don't need to give an answer now, just know that it is an option, and the only way this conversation will be able to continue. You have my card, yes?" Amber nodded slowly. "Very good. Then, I wish you a good rest of your day, Ms. Solst." With that, he removed his hand after giving her a pat on the shoulder, and walked away. Amber stood in the snow trying to put it all together in her head. She watched him get into his car, and drive off. She also noticed the blue car, and red truck round the bend after him. The man at the coffee shop was gone, too. Amber looked down at her feet as she let the wind whip her face trying to get her thoughts in order. Leave Beacon? She had worked so hard just to get into the prestigious academy. What would her parents say? Amber was at a loss. Could she forsake all those long nights she spent studying with Jade? Well...'studying' is a loose term as Jade mostly faked it by sneaking in comics, but she still stayed up along side Amber to keep her company. _Jade..._ Small, fresh snowflakes started to dance their way down the sky, and they softly began covering Amber's coat. She held out her hand, and caught one of the snowflakes. Against her black glove she could make out all the details the tiny flake held. Then, a burst of wind whipped the snowflake out of her hand. She only had a brief window to look at it before it was swept away. Every snowflake was unique, so each one was an opportunity that needed to be seized before it was too late. If she hesitated, she would get left behind. Another snowflake fell passed her face, and landed on the chibi beowolf keychain she had hooked to her belt. Its chain softly jangled as the wind was about to pick up, again. But, just before the gust came to blow the snowflake off, Amber grabbed the keychain, and clenched it tightly in her fist. She took in a deep breath of the frigid air, and with her other hand she dug through her pocket, and fished out Van Grimmig's card. The address would be simple enough to find. With one more squeeze of the keychain, Amber resolved herself, and walked back to the fairy that would take her to Beacon. She had packing to do.


	65. The Science of Myth

"You're what!?" Dia, and Ebony spoke in unison when they returned to their room to find Amber packing her suitcase.

"Just what I said; I'm leaving Beacon to take on an apprenticeship."

Dia was slightly shaking, "But…But, you put in so much work to get into Beacon! You, and Jade both! I remember those mornings when Jade would ramble on about you two studying all night!"

"Yes, Dia, I know." Her tone was becoming annoyed.

"So, what, you're just going to throw that all away?" Dia, who didn't usually show much emotion, was becoming livid. "You're going to throw away all that time you, and Jade spent-"

"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE OF JADE!" Amber sharply rose, and screamed in Dia's face. Ebony sat this one out as this was something he knew he had no right in getting into. "Unlike you **I** can't just let things go the way they are."

"Why not?"

"Because the mimic Grimm isn't dead."

"This again?" Dia rubbed his hand on his face. "Amber, please, let it go! Please! You have to move on. Stop letting this Grimm take over your life!"

"It has NO control on my life!" She continued packing. "I'm doing this for Jade. I'm doing this so that her **killer** doesn't just get off scot free."

"Oh, don't give me that, Amber. It's a Grimm. A fucking Grimm. And, you're going to throw away everything you've worked for with Jade just to go after it." Amber didn't respond, and finished packing. Silently, she stood up, and picked up her suitcase. Neither Ebony, or Dia tried to stop her when she walked past them.

"Good bye, Dia."

* * *

"Dia, are you alright?" Dia shook his head snapping himself out of his thoughts. He was walking through a laboratory corridor with his mother.

"Ye-Yes, I'm fine," he rubbed the back of his head, "I was just remembering something unpleasant."

"Is it about Amber, again?" Dia's silence answered her question. His mother gave a sigh, "She made her choice, son, and it's been four years since she left. Besides, I need you in the here, and now. You worked hard to get to today; a huntsman, and a scientist." She smiled contently. "You're really my son for having achieved so much."

"Thanks, mom." Dia relaxed his shoulders a bit at his mother's vote of confidence. It had been four years since Amber left, and Dia had graduated from Beacon. A certified huntsman, and with grades to push him into the field of Grimm study at any location of his choosing. He had always dreamed of working alongside his mother in the pursuit to understand the creatures of Grimm, and he had finally achieved that goal. Ebony wasn't as lucky, but his goals weren't as lofty, and he joined the Vale police department. He came from a long line of soldiers, and police officers, so he was certainly doing his family proud. It was only a few weeks after graduation when his mother had told him he was accepted to work in the lab she was working in. Apparently, it was doing something rather secretive as it took both a recommendation from her, and the headmaster of Beacon for Dia to be accepted onto the staff. A lump formed in his throat, and he did his best to not show his nerves. The lab in question was located in one of the northern mountain ranges of Vale, near the coast which meant he would be living on site in one of the dormitories. It was also carved into the mountain itself with only one of its sides being exposed, while the rest were embedded into the rock. Due to the unusual location, they had to arrive via airship as there were no land entrances to the facility. A bit strange, but Dia figured it was to make it harder for the creatures of Grimm to assail the location, or for any of the subjects to escape.

"We'll have to go through the holding pens; just stay behind the yellow line, and you'll be fine." He was getting a tour of the facility from his mother, and they entered a room full of massive cages; most were empty, but quite a few held creatures of Grimm. Some of the Grimm were banding on the side of the cages, while others seemed completely docile as they silently sat with their eyes watching what was going on outside their prison. "While Grimm usually die of in captivity we're trying out various ways to extend the period in which they can remain before death."

"So, we're studying ways to keep Grimm contained longer?" Dia asked as he met eyes with one of the ursa's that was clawing at the cage door.

His mother nodded, "While that is certainly one of the areas of study it won't be the one we'll be doing." Dia nodded, and continued along with his mother through the facility. Next, they passed through a large observation room that was overlooking a massive lab with a strange pool in the center. The pool was full of a black ooze-like liquid.

"What's that?"

"Another area of study," his mother stopped, and turned towards the window overlooking the room. "We're not quite sure what it is, or if it has any relation to the creatures of Grimm. It was found naturally in the caves of the mountain surrounded by griffons that defended the pool with an unseen level of aggression." Dia raised an eyebrow at this. "When the griffons were cleared out we tried to figure out why they so desperately tried to defend the pool, but so far we haven't made any headway on what it is, or anything about the black substance inside it." His mother sounded rather annoyed at this. "Honestly, it's been a decade since this place was founded, and no one's found a reason for that pools existence. All it does is sit there."

"Have there been tests on the substance in the pool?"

"Plenty," his mother gave a heavy sigh, "But, so far, no one can tell what it is. The only things we know for certain is that it is extremely toxic. We tried getting some lab rats to drink the liquid, and they went into a violent coughing fit, and fell deathly ill." She shook her head, and stepped away from the window, "To be frank, our resources would be better suited to other departments, but the headmaster seemed adamant about the continued study of the pool, so it continues." The headmaster of Beacon was the owner of the facility; he paid for it mostly out of his own pocket. "Anyway, you, and I don't need to worry about what the Goo Watchers are doing." Dia rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Oh come now, it's just a little joking fun. Besides, it's better than ours."

"What's the nickname for our department?"

"Corpse Pokers." Dia froze for a second as that physically stunned him. His mother looked back at him over her shoulder. "Told you it was better than ours."

"Wh-…Why? Corpse Pokers?" Dia rushed to catch up to his mother, and looked at her with an exasperated expression. To answer him, his mother led Dia to a sealed bulkhead door that required a keycard, eye scan, and voice recognition to open.

"The reason you were accepted into our department, Dia, was due to your exceptional grades, especially your high grade in biology, and anatomy." Dia raised an eyebrow at this, and at the fact that he, and his mother had to wear doctor scrubs, and face masks, but as the doors opened he soon found out why. The room was relatively large, and full of lab equipment you would find in a hospital. There were a few others in the room working at computer terminals, but that wasn't what drew Dia's eyes; it was the table near the center of the room, and the corpse of what looked to be a sixteen/seventeen year old girl that lay on it.

"Wh-…What? I thought…we would be studying the creatures of Grimm?"

"Ah, Dr. Mund." One of the people at the terminals looked over at them. "And, you must be the new staff, welcome." The man approached them, and shook Dia's hand. "I'm Dr. Paracelsus, the lead researcher of our department. And, as for your question…" He led Dia over to the table. As Paracelsus removed the blanket over the girl's corpse Dia saw that it looked like it had been through hell, and back. There were also broken pieces of medical equipment that littered the table; mostly scalpels, and other knives, and cutting instruments. "We most certainly are studying Grimm." Paracelsus picked up a new scalpel, and went to make an incision. But, when the blade pierced the skin there was a loud metal snapping noise as the scalpel's blade was broken off, and flung into the air as a black spike erupted from the cut. Dia jumped back in surprise, and Paracelsus tossed the broken blade onto the table. After a few seconds the spike slowly sunk back into the corpse, and the wound closed leaving only a faint scar. "There is a creature of Grimm hiding within the corpse of this girl, Mr. Mund." Paracelsus turned towards Dia. "And, it's our job to figure out why."


	66. Enough to Go Mad Over

"Personal Log #27: It has been…a year since I arrived the Alexandria Laboratory, and…I am torn." Dia was sitting in his personal dorm room within the depths of the Alexandria lab's living quarters. He was…tired, to say the least. "When I first arrived I thought that the team hadn't made any progress because of some piece of information that had gone overlooked; something that a fresh pair of eyes would spot. But, there's nothing." He leaned back in his chair, and rubbed his hands on his face in frustration. "We have the best equipment, the brightest minds, and all the uninterrupted time in the world…but…it's not enough." The clock filled the room with its ticking as a reminder of the ever marching of time. Venting his frustration into these audio logs was one of the few ways Dia was keeping his sanity in check. "We can't even get a sample to study as it's impossible to extract anything substantial from the subject. And, what little we do get only confirms what we already know." A folder on the desk was flicked open, and he ruffled through the papers. "We believe the corpse is from Vacuo based on the woman's dark skin, and the information Beacon Academy's headmaster gathered for us. How he found this information is anyone's guess. But, apparently, she predates the Great War, however I have my doubts. Her body is in impeccable condition, for a corpse, with minimal signs of decay. The atrophying of the musculature aside, the corpse doesn't in the slightest look almost thirty years old." He gave another frustrated sigh. "This job just keeps being infuriating, but I can't exactly just throw in the towel, either. I've worked too hard to quit. I won't tarnish my family's name like she did…" Once team JADE had officially formed during their first year they had a team picture taken which was sitting on his desk. Dia's hand absentmindedly touched the picture as his mind wandered back to those days when everyone held smiles on their faces. Not like today. "In any case," he let go of the photo, "I intend to put in more time to crack this case before the year is done. This is a promise to myself, and all my fellow scientist."

* * *

"Personal Log #351: How?" Dia's fingers were tapping the desk irritably as he stewed in his thoughts. "Three years since I joined Alexandria, and we still. Have. Nothing. Not a single thing to show for the countless hours that have been used pouring over what little data we're able to gather about the corpse. We've recently banned the use of dust within the direct lab the corpse is being held in as the last experiment went…poorly." There was a moment of silence as Dia bit his bottom lip before continuing. "The creature of Grimm hiding in the corpse lashed out, and Doctor Liari lost her life when trying a dust infused scalpel to forcefully get a sample. I can't say I blame her; we're all on edge to make progress, and break this snail's pace we've been stuck at for the past few years." Dia stopped, and idly stared at the clock for a few minutes. "I'm not sure how much more I can take. For now, we'll continue to observe, and study the corpse. For now, no changes."

* * *

"Personal Log #685: Year four. We continue to observe, and study. No changes."

* * *

"Personal Log #1050: Year five. We continue to observe, and study. No changes."

* * *

"Personal Log #1780: Year seven. No changes."

* * *

"Personal Log #2080: Year eight. No changes. Beacon Academy's headmaster visit today." Dia's hand ran through his beard as he tossed the recording devise on his desk. He hadn't shaved in a few weeks. The room was a mess with papers flooding the floor, desk, bed, and anything else with a flat surface. He forcefully dragged himself into the bathroom for a shave, and afterwards washed his face with cold water. The reflection in the mirror was hardly recognizable to Dia. He was almost thirty, but he already looked, and felt fifty. This rare experience was only felt by the most dedicated within the Corpse Pokers, and even the Goo Watchers whenever they had a new person brought on board. There was an initial fire in their eyes to attempt to make some headway, some kind of breakthrough, but it would always end in one of two ways. Either they would give up, and accept that nothing would come of their work ending with them transferring out, or staying to do nothing. Or, there would be a rare case like Dia where they were doing anything they could to keep the dwindling fire in their eyes alive. He's reran experiments more times than he could remember, and attempted to take samples with the same method over, and over hoping that if even just once it worked that something would come of it. But, nothing ever did. His mother was worried, but her words only fell on deaf ears as Dia had pushed himself for the past eight years to continue on his relentless pursuit for answers. The headmaster had gone from making monthly check-ins to only yearly ones. That was a massive blow for Dia, but even still he pushed ahead.

"Are you getting enough sleep, Dia?" The headmaster, and Dia were walking through the hall as today was the day the headmaster made his yearly round to the Corpse Pokers. "You're more tired than I remember last I saw you."

"I'm getting all the rest I need to keep up my work, headmaster, you needn't worry about me so."

"Not what I meant." The headmaster gave a sigh of defeat at Dia's stubbornness. "In either case: what is the current situation?"

Dia's eyes never averted from looking forward as he answered, "No changes, sir." The headmaster merely nodded, and the two continued on in silence until they reached the lab Mimi's corpse was in. Over the years they had received additional funding which was used to upgrade their lab's equipment to the latest technology that was pouring out of Atlas, but it was still not enough. No matter what they did, no matter how much tech they threw at it, they were unable to learn anything substantial about the mimic Grimm. "She's still here." He watched as the headmaster went through his usual routine when checking on the Corpse Pokers. Using a gloved hand he would run it over her body looking for a reaction stopping occasionally stopping if he felt something, but would always continue on. Next would be opening her mouth to see if the black ooze inside her had spread only to find that it seemed contempt on staying where it was. As if it didn't want to come out, or couldn't. There would be paperwork from the last scans that he would go over, nodding to himself as if actually seeing something, and then put them down to ponder over the corpse for a few, silent minutes. "No changes."

"Indeed." This would be the time the headmaster would normally head out, but this time he did something different. "What do you make of this?"

"Sir?"

"Come now," the headmaster gestured around them, "We're the only ones here so I promise not to laugh at any crazy theories, but I want your honesty." While he was trying to be friendly, Dia felt an uneasiness from the headmaster. "You've been watching over her for eight years now with no change. It's obvious that the Grimm inside her is alive as we can see it moving in her throat. Have you also been checking through her-"

"AHEM." Dia cleared his throat. "…Yes, we've been checking all places, and have found that the ooze is there, and squirming. Though, how it's still alive after all these years is still a mystery as none of the other creatures of Grimm have ever lasted this long in captivity. I speculate it has to do with the fact that it is physically insider the corpse, but if it was using the corpse as a food source then it would have eaten through it long ago." Dia ran his hand over Mimi's cold skin. "I also have a theory that…it doesn't want to come out."

"Oh?" The headmaster raised an eyebrow at Dia. "Do tell."

"Well, it reacts to whenever we check it, and gets violent whenever we try to force our way inside. I think it feels that the outside environment is too dangerous for it, and so it remains within the corpse as it can go mostly unobserved. I also thought it might just be hiding in there until it regains strength, but it's been eight years, so that theory is less, and less likely."

"I see," the headmaster sighed, "Well, keep up the go-"

"Greetings, gentlemen." Dia, and the headmaster abruptly turned as an unfamiliar voice came from behind them. They both turned, and there, standing in the open doorway, was a man wearing what looked to be a train conductor's uniform standing calmly with his arms behind his back.

"Who are you?" Dia had been here for eight years now, and knew everyone in his department as well as everyone in the adjacent departments. He had never seen this man before in his life.

"I am merely a Conductor trying to help people get to where they're needed, my good sirs, and I would very much like to inquire about the passenger whom I'm here for."

"Passenger?" Dia again spoke as the headmaster was staying silent, and eyeing the man suspiciously. "There aren't any passengers here, sir. Security?" They stood in silence for a few seconds, but no one came.

"Why of course there is." And, the Conductor gestured to the corpse. "I am here to pick up Miss Valus as she has a very important appointment to keep."


	67. Jailbreak

"Miss…Valus?" Dia was the first to speak after the Conductor had stated his intention while indicating to the mimic's corpse. There was skepticism in his voice, but a curiosity that could not be covered. "You know the mimic?" He went to take a step forward, but was stopped when the headmaster put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"A moment, Dia." The headmaster's voice was low, and the man was clearly on edge. Then, he stepped forward, and addressed the Conductor. "A stranger breaks into a private facility, and states he's here to take away a subject that no records show her being here." He narrowed his eyes. "I would very much like to know how you found this place; let alone how you knew the mimic's corpse would be here." The Conductor's face held a bemused expression as he didn't move from the doorway. Yet, even Dia could tell, the man's eyes were sizing both he, and the headmaster up with a cold, calculating mind.

"That information is, unfortunately, classified to the highest level," the Conductor shrugged nonchalantly, "So, I'm not authorized to explain myself, but that cane…" His gaze turned to the cane the headmaster was leaning on. "You must be Ozpin." A cold smile took over his face as realization dawned on Ozpin.

"Ozpin?" Dia raised an eyebrow in confusion; Ozpin wasn't the headmaster's name. He looked from the Conductor to the headmaster, but the look on the headmaster's face said it all; a scowl that could make a Grimm freeze in its tracks. What was going on here?

"Now now, Oz…may I call you Oz?"

"No."

"Oz. I'm sure that, while not directly, your questions have been answered about who I am?"

"Indeed, they have." Much to Dia's surprise, the headmaster, Ozpin, took up an offensive stance, and held his cane like a sword resting at his side. "Which is why you will not be leaving this facility alive." The words were cold, and the threat clear. Dia took a hesitant step back at the escalating level of tension mounting in the room.

"Now, is there really need for such violence, Oz?" The Conductor's hand lifted, and he tilted his hat down so that they covered his eyes. "Especially when security's on the way?" Dia, and Ozpin were taken aback, and looked at the Conductor in confusion. The Conductor gave a sigh, and put both hands behind his back. In a curt voice he barked, "Security!" The hallway outside was dark, and neither Ozpin, or Dia had noticed before, but there was shifting movement in the dark, and scuttling could be heard.

"Dia!" Ozpin cried for the huntsman to be ready as red eyes pierced the darkness in the hall, and creeps started flooding into the room. Dia dove to one of the tables, opened a drawer, and pulled out a security pistol. Ozpin pulled a pistol of his own; he didn't want to use any magic while Dia was still present, and he had faith that the two could fend off the creeps so long as…wait… Ozpin looked up in surprise to find that the Conductor was no longer standing in front of them. "Where did he-?!" A creep leapt at him, cutting off his train of thought, and Ozpin stabbed his cane into the Grimm's mouth causing the creature to get stuck, before pressing the pistol to its head, and firing two rounds into the Grimm. Its body dissolved off his cane, and Ozpin charged into the wave of creeps. Standing still would be suicide, survival depended on not getting cornered. Unfortunately, Dia had been lax on his physical training as the years had gone on with more emphasis being placed on trying to learn all he could about the mimic Grimm. The creeps could easily kill him, but they didn't. Instead, the Grimm seemed content on toying with him; they would jump at him, run around him dodging his terrible shots, and sometimes kick him when they ran past. Were they mocking him? "Dia!" Ozpin appeared before him, and quickly dispatched the creeps. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes." Dia hadn't even realized he was hyperventilating, but quickly controlled his breathing. "Who was that? And, why did he call you Ozpin?"

"A story for another time, Dia, for now we need to…" Ozpin's voice trailed off as he looked behind Dia. Confused, Dia turned around, and when he did his arms fell limply to his side. The mimic's corpse was missing from the table.

* * *

"You certainly seem to get yourself into the worst possible situations don't you, Miss Valus?" The Conductor was going through the Alexandria's halls at a brisk walk holding Mimi's corpse in his arms bridal style. "Honestly, do you know how hard it is to break into, let alone find, a government laboratory that's built into an undisclosed mountain side?" The corpse said nothing. "It's quite difficult, let me tell you." As he walked the two past more creeps, and a Goliath that they had broken out of its cage. Thanks to Salem's…persuasive ways…they had managed to 'convince' one of the engineers that built the place to give them a copy of the structure's blueprints, and tell them how the place was wired; especially how to disable the alarm. The facility was caught completely off guard as the creeps, and various other creatures of Grimm that had been captured here were let loose on a bloody rampage. The place was exploding with fear, and death, but the Conductor was oblivious to such a detail. "Now, unfortunately, while I know how much you enjoy your naps you're going to have to wake up. Don't worry, though," the wicked smile never left his lips, "I know just what you need to get you going."

* * *

Ozpin, and Dia were sprinting through the halls dispatching any Grimm they came across. "Headmaster, where are we going? You're certain he took the mimic this way?" Dia was doing his best to keep up, but wasn't in the best shape.

"Yes, because I think I've figured out what we've missed all these years!" Ozpin batted a beowolf aside with his cane, and impaled it with his cane.

"What we've missed?" Dia took out a boarbatusk that was charging them. Ozpin didn't respond as his mind was racing with too many things: how did Salem find them? How was the Conductor able to breach the facility seemingly effortlessly? Who was Miss Valus? He bit his lip in frustration as they met up with two security guards who were on patrol, and got caught in the chaos. "You two, with us!"

"Sir!" They seemed shaken, but they each held a sub-machine gun which increased their survival chances exponentially. Not to mention, if Ozpin was right, they would need a lot of firepower for what was potentially coming next.

* * *

The door opened, and the Conductor strode into the room. It was rather dark so as to allow the viewing of what was behind the view window that took up an entire wall; the pit of black ooze. A dormant Grimm spawning pool. Grimm spawning pools were very much like organisms in their own right in that they were alive; kind of. Often times there would be a powerful Grimm that attuned itself to the pool, and whose presence would activate the pit allowing others of that Grimm's species to begin spawning. When the humans had cleared out the cave initially of the griffons they had slain the lead Grimm, thus cutting off the head of the pool leaving it to fall into slumber. However, even if it was dormant the pit was still filled to the brim with the black ooze that made up all creatures of Grimm. The Conductor approached the view window, and peered down into the room. There was no one inside as the freed Grimm had already cleared much of this level out. Judging the distance, he concluded it was a thirty foot drop to the floor of the room, and the edge of the pool was around twenty feet away from the wall. "Almost there."

"Freeze!" The Conductor turned his head, and saw that Ozpin, Dia, and two security officers had come in through the open door, and formed a firing line behind him. "Turn around, slowly!" the lead guard barked. Doing what he was told, the guards kept their guns trained on him. They seemed extremely tense. The Conductor mulled over a thought that came to him. Ozpin glared daggers into the Conductor.

"As I said before; you won't be leaving this facility alive."

"So it would seem." The two guards started to walk towards the Conductor. He softly whispered, "Sorry about the extra holes, Miss Valus." Taking advantage of the extremely stressed state the guards were in, the Conductor let go of Mimi with his left hand, and moved his hand into his pocket. The guards fell for it thinking he was reaching for a weapon, and impulsively opened fire.

"DON'T!" Ozpin shouted at the guards, and went to disarm them with a blast of magic, but it was too late. The sub-machine guns roared to life hitting their mark, and managed to take down the Conductor's aura filling him with bullets, but they also shattered the glass overlooking the spawning pit's room that was behind him. Spinning on his heel, the Conductor ignored the screaming pain from all the bullets that he was taking, and used every bit of strength he had to leap into the room, and threw Mimi's corpse using the momentum from his leap to send her further in. The Conductor fell the thirty feet into the room, and slammed face first into the floor. His blood stained the floor on impact, and what little air he had in his lungs was knocked out of him. Ozpin's magic went off, and disarmed the guards who looked at him in complete shock, but it was too late, and he sprinted to the edge overlooking the room. His face was twisted with horror, and anger, while the Conductor merely smiled through the pain as he heard Mimi's corpse splash into the black ooze of the spawning pit.


	68. Where Is My Mind

"When's dad coming home?" The little girl was standing at her home's front gate. The sun had set when her mother finally came for her. Both were tense; the mother couldn't bring herself to utter the words that the daughter was waiting to hear. She gently put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, and led her inside. The daughter's best friend would come to visit often to try, and cheer her up, but it did little. It would take two weeks, but a huntsman would arrive one afternoon to offer the family a tattered, and torn green cloak. It would take another week for the daughter to come down from her room.

* * *

Mimi awoke to a world of white. _This is…different?_ She hated to admit it, but she'd been on death's door enough times to 'recognize' it, to an extent. Normally, it was a world of darkness that would have a light at the end of it, and not a featureless, white void. As she sat up Mimi was taken completely by surprise to find that her body wasn't covered in the black ooze, but rather was her normal caramel color, and she had on the clothes she had while still a dust runner. None of the cloth was torn, and her body didn't have any scars. It was just like that fateful day. _Well…I guess sitting here won't do me any good._ There was definitely a 'floor' of some kind, though it was hard to tell what was the 'floor' when faced with a featureless void. Surprisingly, when she opened her mouth words came out. "Hello?" Mimi flinched at the sound. She'd forgotten what her own voice sounded like. Shaking the surprise off, Mimi called out again. "Is anyone there?"

"Technically." _…No…_ Mimi spun on her heels as she instantly recognized the voice that came from behind her. The girl easily stood out from the white void with her tattered green cloak.

"J-…Jade?" She was about five feet away from Mimi standing with a calm smile on her face.

"Technically."

"Technically?" Mimi cocked her head to the side.

Jade merely gave a shrug, "I could be Jade. Or, I could just be a figment of your imagination come to comfort you." She gave Mimi a cocky grin. "I _am_ dead, remember?" Mimi instantly felt a wave of regret hit her like a truck, and she lowered her head in shame as she remembered devouring Jade back in the cave.

"I'm…sorry." Mimi felt a hand pat her on the shoulder.

"Ah, don't sweat it too much. Slowly bleeding out on a stone floor wasn't the most comfortable of situations, and at least you made it quick." Mimi looked up, and her eyes met Jade's. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"Right…" Mimi had no idea what to do, and Jade just continued smiling at her with a bemused expression on her face. After a few moments of silence Mimi spoke, "So…Do you know where we are?"

"You're asking me?" Jade put her hands on her hips. "We're inside your head from what I gather. Kinda vacant, though, not that I expected less." Jade added that last part with a shit-eating grin, and Mimi shot her a scowl. Then, both girls erupted into laughter. True, genuine laughter. Mimi then tackled Jade to the ground in a hug, which Jade gracefully accepted. "So," she started finally controlling her laughter, "This is what you really look like." She ran her fingers through Mimi's hair, and brought her head up. "Not half bad."

"Uh…" Mimi stopped laughing, and her face grew red. Jade gave a chuckle.

"Oh~? Didn't realize you were into necrophilia."

"EH!?" Mimi threw herself off Jade who erupted back into laughter. "I swear…" she muttered to herself, and wiped her face with her hand. She waited for Jade to finish laughing before continuing. "ANY way," she began to get Jade's attention, "This isn't the usual place I end up when I almost die." Jade raised an eyebrow at that, but let it slide. "So, I need to figure out what's going on so I can get back-…" Mimi stopped herself, and her shoulders slumped in shame. She felt Jade's eyes drilling into the top of her head. Lakehurst. "Jade, I-" She was abruptly stopped when Jade put a finger on Mimi's mouth.

"Not another word." Her tone was serious, but not wholly angry. "I can understand that mistakes happen, but it's how we move forward that really matters." Jade's eyes locked with Mimi's. "No. More. Innocents. Die. Understood?" Mimi's eyes stayed locked, and she slowly nodded her head. "Good." Jade removed her finger from Mimi's lips. "Then, let's not dwell on that memory as it's…something I'd rather not go back to." She hopped to her feet, and offered Mimi a hand; helping Mimi to her feet. "As for what's going on…well, from what I can gather you're 'Conductor' friend's apparently stepped in, and saved you from being a continued pin cushion."

"Wait," Mimi was taken aback, " _He's_ here? And…I'm a pin cushion? What?"

Jade mumbled to herself, "Right, you've been out cold until the dip." _Dip?_ Jade clapped her hands together. "Basic rundown: you lost to Van Grimmig (a legendary huntsman), were taken to a lab, taken to ANOTHER lab by Ozpin, have been out cold for about twelve years, and your friend has gotten you back, and threw you in a spawning pool like on the farm." She gave a sigh, "Any questions?" _QUITE A FEW!_

"Yeah I have questions: what lab? I've been out for twelve years? How do you know Ozpin? And, how do you know about the farm?"

"In order: a lab researching the creatures of Grimm, yes twelve years you're quite the heavy sleeper, and as for the last two…" Jade looked to something behind Mimi, "She told me the rest." Mimi raised an eyebrow, and turned around to see what Jade meant. Then, a shiver ran down her spine. Roughly ten feet away from her was a…person? It was a humanoid figure made entirely out of the black ooze that Mimi remembered covered her. Below its knees the form dissolved into pure goo, and back into a puddle of itself that the figure was standing in. Its whole body was black, and constantly shimmering as the ooze worked to keep its current form. It's face was elongated like a bull, and it had two large antlers coming out of its head. Mimi took a hesitant step back, but Jade gently put her hands on Mimi's shoulders to stop her. "There's no need to fear her, but I can relate to how you feel. I tried killing her when I first met her in here." _…What?..._ Mimi's brain felt like it was about to fry from all this information.

" **Don't…leave…** " The figure spoke in a gurgling voice that sounded like a distorted version of Mimi's own. Mimi's eyes widened as she suddenly recognized it.

"When I was dying…" Jade let go of Mimi's shoulders as Mimi took a step forward towards the figure. "I…My mother was calling to me…But, you…"

" **Please…** "Mimi paused as she was shocked by how genuine its plea sounded. " **Don't…leave…us…** "

"You say 'us' like you mean me too, but in reality you would just miss Mimi." Jade came in, and draped her arms over Mimi's shoulders in a pseudo-hug. After a brief moment of silence it spoke, again.

" **Don't…leave…me…** "

"There you go. See, Mimi," Jade nudged Mimi's head with her own, "She's just a big softy. Nothing to fear." Mimi blinked a few times in confusion.

"Who is…she?" Even though she couldn't see Jade's face she could feel her grinning.

"I think you already know the answer to that. After all, they've helped you get this far." Mimi tried to remember, to think of a name, or person, but couldn't. Esoteric maybe?

"She's…Me?" Mimi jumped as Jade abruptly let go of her, threw her hands in the air, and gave a shout.

"BINGO!" Jade walked in front of Mimi, and gestured with her hand towards the figure. "This here is your 'Grimm' self." Mimi raised an eyebrow, but Jade just shrugged. "Don't ask me, I'm just going off of what she's told me. In any case, she's the 'you' that's kept you going all these years." Jade lowered her hand, and fully faced Mimi. "Every step you take towards your goals? Every sword swung at an enemy? Every trigger pulled to shoot a target? Every time you even think about your revenge, and get a little angry about it? That's her. Kinda like your inner thoughts, and desires given power when you ate those centaurs, I guess?" As Mimi's mind contemplated what she was told a thought came to her.

"My revenge?" She saw Jade's smile falter for a second. "So…She's told you about that?"

Jade gave a heavy sigh, and gave Mimi a sullen look, "Yeah. She showed me your memories from when it all happened up until I met you." Mimi found herself being pulled into a bear hug, and Jade whispered, "You've been through so much, and are still going. I only saw your memories from a viewer's perspective, so I can't even begin to imagine what you've been feeling all these years. But, I want you to truly know that I'm your friend, and I'm here for you." Those words, those few words, brought it all out. For two decades after the Great War Mimi had been mostly alone as it was too dangerous for her to come into town on a consistent basis. Then, coming to Vale, and trying to navigate her way around the modern world that was completely alien to her? Even the Conductor wasn't around that often in Mimi's life, and was more of a business associate, all things considered. But, to hear those words, and feel the warm embrace of another? Mimi broke down into tears, and returned Jade's hug tenfold. Even though Mimi had called Jade friend before it never felt real as, back then, Mimi was hiding behind her yellow cloak. Now? Jade knew everything, and Mimi could feel the warmth of Jade's heart overtaking her through their hug. Mimi wasn't sure how much time past, but eventually she had stopped crying, and was hiccuping trying to control her breathing, while Jade softly stroked her hair. Eventually, Jade softly spoke. "I'll be here for you, but, now, you have work to do." Mimi looked up at Jade, and wiped tears from her eyes. "Your Grimm self's been keeping me up to date on what's going on outside, and your friend's managed to throw you into a Grimm spawning pit. You're going to wake up soon, and when you do you'll have to kill Ozpin."

"But…" Mimi talked even though she still hadn't fully calmed down, "He's the headmaster…Isn't he-?" Again, Jade cut Mimi off by putting a finger to Mimi's lips. This time, however, Jade's eyes held a fire in them Mimi hadn't seen before.

"No." Her voice was laced with anger. "Officially, our headmaster's name isn't Ozpin. So, I don't know who that man really is. Your Grimm self kept saying something about the 'before' times?"

" **He is…of the first…the ones…who came before…** "

"That. In either case, all I know is that that man's been manipulating things from behind the scenes, much like that Salem you met." Jade's hands clenched into fists. "And, while I don't like Salem for obvious reasons, that doesn't mean I like the idea of some guy, Ozpin, manipulating us huntsman behind the scenes, either. My father-…" She took a shaky breath. "He believed in the purpose of huntsman, and what they stood for. I will NOT let some 'before' guy tarnish, and twist my father's legacy like some piece of a chess board. He is NO innocent." Mimi could feel the fire burning within Jade, and gave her an understanding nod.

"Agreed."

"Just…Please, when you kill him, and you've fulfilled your deal with Salem; could you NEVER work with her again? There's something that just…rubs me the wrong way about her, you know?" Indeed, Mimi knew what Jade meant about that.

"Once this is over, we find Frost on our own." Mimi vowed, and Jade gave a smile, and nodded.

"Then you have my full support. Now then," Jade stood up, and walked next to Mimi's Grimm, "It's time for you to finish the deal." There was a pulling feeling in the back of Mimi's mind, and both Jade, and the Grimm started to fade into the white void.

"Wait!" Mimi stretched out her hand towards Jade. "Will I be able to see you again?"

"Again?" Jade gave a chuckle. "Who said I ever left?"

* * *

Ozpin stared as Mimi's body hit the black ooze, and sank beneath its surface. His fists clenched in frustration. "S-…Sir?" He turned, and saw the two guards, and Dia with wide eyed expressions staring at him. _Great, another blunder to clean up._ Ozpin was about to say something, but stopped as he heard a bubbling noise coming from the room. The pool was active. "Wh-…What is that?!" One of the guards softly spoke as a mass started to rise, or crawl rather, out of the pit. The black ooze which had once given Mimi's dying body new life, had rekindled the dying spark that lay dormant within her. As excess ooze dripped off her, Mimi's form had, once again, taken to its new life. Her armor was slimmed down. Her spikes were sharper. The normal shirt, and corset that had once dawned her body were replaced; her stomach was bare, and only a leathery, black armor accented with bone plates covered her chest, and shoulders. And, as she raised herself from the floor Mimi breathed in the cold air; her teeth had sharpened, and her mouth softly glowed red with unnatural energy. Once two stubby bone antlers were now magnificent antlers that angled themselves back, and were two feet in length from base to end tip. The mimic's red eyes pulsed as they opened, and Mimi awakened.


	69. Will of the Scarred

Silence took hold of the room as Mimi got used to breathing again. It had been quite a while since her lungs had been filled, so it was taking a few breaths to get a steady rhythm back. She flexed her fingers, took a few steps forward, and rolled her shoulders; everything seemed to be in working order. _That said…_ She looked up at Ozpin who was staring down at her through the broken window of the observation deck with an unreadable expression. _My body isn't ready for combat just yet._ Her breathing still wasn't steady, and she could feel muscle cramps just from walking a short few steps. Ozpin, on the other hand, was stoically standing above her, his breathing was calm, and he hadn't moved an inch since she started looking at him. _I have the pool, though._ Mimi looked back over her shoulder at the now bubbling pool of black ooze that was behind her. _As much as I know it would hurt; could I out last him by constantly regenerating with the pool?_ There was a gasp from above that drew Mimi's attention to the view window. The two guards had let out the gasps as they both seemingly just collapsed, and Ozpin was slowly descending down into the room. It looked like he was flying. _No._ That foul scent that Mimi vividly remembered from the battle of the dust mines wafted off the guards, and was pouring out of Ozpin as he slowly flew to the ground. _Even with the pool's regeneration there are things I can't even begin to account for._ Van Grimmig's silver eyes had caught Mimi completely off guard; one could only guess at what secret powers someone who came from the 'before' times could muster.

"Mrs. Valus." Mimi's eyes widened in surprise as Ozpin spoke her name. "I see; so that may in fact be your name." He closed his eyes, and seemed to mule something over in his head. _This is bad._ Unlike Van Grimmig, Mimi could see a killing intent hanging around Ozpin that was mixing with the foul stench to form a sickening aura about the man. Ozpin's eyes opened. "Do you remember me?" Mimi's eyes narrowed.

 _You're the king of Vale._ She projected her thoughts out as she'd done to communicate with the creatures of Grimm. But, Ozpin didn't indicate a response. Mimi nodded her head.

"I see." He brought his cane down in front of him, and rested both his hands on it. "Then, while a bit late, I will introduce myself. Originally, my name was Ozma, but that time has long since passed. You once knew me as the king of Vale, but that too has passed. Officially I go by a different name in this time period, but you may know me as Ozpin from our mutual acquaintance." Upon hearing the word 'Ozma' a surge of hate pulsed through Mimi's entire being. Her inner Grimm was restless. "I think in my next life I will officially use the name Ozpin as this whole 'secret name' thing no longer suits my needs." He waved a hand dismissively. "But, you also know what it's like to have multiple names, mimic." Mimi could hear a venom in Ozpin's voice when he spoke. "And, it also seems you've taken your side within the war."

 _War?_ Mimi raised an eyebrow at that, but it was blocked by her mask, so Ozpin didn't notice. She sighed internally. _Just what did I get myself wrapped into with Salem if there's a 'war' going on?_

"Don't worry." Ozpin's foul aura flared, bringing Mimi's attention back to reality. "I shall kill you quickly; which is more than what you gave my comrades." Mimi activated her semblance on him as she knew he would attack, but was stunned as she couldn't make heads, or tails of what she had mimicked. Weird hand gestures? Breathing exercises? His motions looked more like an interpretive dance rather than a fighting style. But, Mimi quickly dismissed the thought as when Ozpin did the strange hand gestures she found a bolt of lightning arcing out of his hand towards her. _WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT?!_ Mimi tried to dodge, but she couldn't outrun lightning, and the bolt slammed into her chest flinging her back into the spawning pit. It was only two feet deep, so Mimi was easily able to stand back up, but when she looked at where the lightning had hit her she saw that the bolt had completely stripped away the black ooze from her flesh. She concentrated on the pool, and black tendrils snaked up her body, and her black flesh, and armor re-formed. "Did I say kill you quickly?" Ozpin walked towards her. "Slip of the tongue."

 _Oh, you cocky, littl-_ _ **GAH!**_ This time bolts of flame slammed into her. A single word bubbled its way to the forefront of her mind. _**Magic.**_ Actual, real magic. _What a fucked up fairytale I'm in-_ _ **GAAH!**_ Ozpin continued his advance, and assault. Mimi's demonic cries of pain filled the room as whenever she tried to get up Ozpin would use lightning to bring her right back down. _I-_ _ **AAAAHH!**_ _...Can't beat him-_ _ **AAAHH!**_ _...On my own!_ Ozpin was standing at the edge of the spawning pool; he didn't seem to want to get in. Mimi was a good ten feet from him, and was trying her best to just stay on her knees, and conscious from Ozpin's magical assault. As she struggled, she remembered something; the words of her friend: ' _You have my full support!_ ' Mimi wasn't sure what, if at all, that meant, but needed any help she could get. All the red markings on her body started to glow, when she breathed out red 'embers' escaped her now glowing maw, and her eyes pulsed red as her semblance shattered nature itself. The spawn pool was in a frenzy as bubbles were boiling up causing waves to crash out of the pool. Her thoughts extended both out into the world around her, and within to her deepest subconscious as she gave her cry. _**JADE!**_

"Wha-!" Ozpin used his magic to leap far back away from the pool as he was just barely able to dodge the attack. Mimi heard his shout, and felt the magic assault stop. She looked up, and matched the same dumbfounded expression that Ozpin had as, sticking out of the pool aimed at where Ozpin once stood, extended a demonic looking glaive that both of them instantly recognized despite its warped appearance. Kinderträumen; Jade's personal glaive. An alien sensation was overtaking Mimi as she 'felt' Kinderträumen as if it was one of the weapons she materialized. But, it was ten feet away from her, and her hands clenched nothing. _So, who-…?_ Mimi's thoughts were interrupted as Kinderträumen started to rise out of the pool, and something else emerged with it. It wasn't a 'fist' in the typical sense, but there was a blob of black ooze that was attached to Kinderträumen's shaft. As the glaive continued to rise, the blob rose too, and strands of black ooze trailed behind it back into the spawn pit. They didn't stay strands for long, though, and black ooze started creeping up the strands to thicken the connection to the blob, and Kinderträumen. It even molded itself to the point it started to look like a right arm. The arm slammed Kinderträumen's blade into the metal floor, and used the leverage to pull itself out of the spawn pit. Mimi, and Ozpin were speechless as the mass of black ooze that crawled out of the spawn pit started to morph, and mold itself into a figure. On two shaky legs it stood up with Kinderträumen to help support its new body. Despite being made of the black ooze of Grimm the new figure's body didn't stay completely black as the legs, head, and left arm took on a peach color. The color of soft white skin. Jade's skin. The ooze continued to shape, and recolor itself into clothing, and before long the figure of Jade stood before them with her torn, green cloak draped over her. Its right arm that held Kinderträumen, as well as the right shoulder, the right side of the face, and a few scattered bits around the body refused to fully form, and stayed as constantly shifting black ooze.

… _Jade…?_

"…Miss Everglen…?" Ozpin's shock had subsided to the point he was able to speak, but he found that words were hard to find. In response, 'Jade' took in a deep breath, threw her head back, and let loose a bestial cry; it sounded like Mimi's, but more high pitched. The strange feeling Mimi felt continued as she could 'feel' everything the ooze Jade could. It was like it was a part of her as any other tool she mimicked was, yet more. She lifted a hand out of the pool, and stretched it out towards the ooze Jade. Again, her eyes pulsed.

 _Jade!_ Mimi felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see a second ooze Jade emerging next to her out of the spawn pool. Mimi's mouth hung agape, and she felt the sure signs of another rising on the opposite side of her. The second Jade's legs refused to fully form, while the third's torso stayed black ooze.

"This…This is…" Ozpin still struggled for words as in all of the years he'd been alive he had never seen such a phenomenon. Only the first ooze Jade had a formed face, even if it was only half, and she opened her eye. Jade's dark green eye held a bestial nature to it, and the white was instead a deep red that softly glowed. The two ooze Jades that were next to Mimi each held their own Kinderträumen, and both walked out of the pit to stand next to the first. Mimi struggled to her feet, and felt the pool around her continue to boil as additional masses of black ooze began rising up from the pool. She lifted her hand, and a Kinderträumen materialized. "No." Ozpin's voice brought Mimi's attention to him, she saw he was clenching his fists, and anger was mixing with his foul aura. "Such a threat to humanity cannot be allowed to persist!" His hand raised, gestures performed, and lightning arced out slamming into the third ooze Jade. It hit her stomach, and actually bisected the ooze clone with its top half falling to the floor. The legs of the clone fell over, and both halves of the body fully liquidated. However, the black ooze puddle it left behind didn't stay idle, and a new ooze Jade started to pull itself out of the puddle, which shrunk as it was used to form a new clone. Again, Ozpin found himself speechless. The clones were fragile, but unlike normal Grimm they could reform themselves as they stood right next to the very pool that gave them life, and were in the presence of their alpha. Mimi's hand clenched Kinderträumen tightly as she took in a deep breath. She marched forward through the pool which was spawning more ooze clones until she stepped out, and next to the first, and most formed, ooze Jade. It held a gentle smile on its face; the same smile Jade had given her before her death. It no longer held sorrow for Mimi, but instead solace. Once more she stood shoulder to shoulder with comrades against her enemy. Four more ooze clones had finished crawling out of the spawning pit, which was half as full as it once was.

 _It's probably only got a few more clones left in it._ Her numbers weren't infinite, and her enemy was still an unknown. Mimi felt a familiar chill run up her spine; an excitement she hadn't felt since her days back in Vacuo. Anticipation of fighting a worthy foe. She knew that was the Grimm within her that was excited, but excitement was contagious, and Mimi found a wicked grin come across her face. Ozpin had come to his senses, and magic began swirling around his hands as he prepared to attack. Mimi took in a deep breath, filled her lungs to capacity, and reared back letting loose a deafening war cry. The Jade clones took up the cry, activated their Kinderträumen's thrusters which spat out wicked red flames, and black smoke, and leapt forward ready to lay down their existences for their Grimm brood mother; for their friend.


	70. Headmaster Headhunt

Ozpin snapped his fingers causing five magic circles to appear in a semi-circle in front of him. With a flick of the wrist upward, flame erupted from the circles engulfing the room in a savage orange light. Most of the clones, and Mimi managed to stop in front of the wall of fire, but two of the ooze clones whose legs weren't fully formed weren't as lucky. The flames caught the clones burning them to nothing but ash. Mimi reached out to the two clones that were caught, but there was no reply. Not even a puddle of black ooze remained. She bit her lip in frustration, her eyes pulsed, and two more clones crawled their way out of the pit. An uneasy pause occurred as Ozpin had cut himself off from the battle.

" _Surround what you can!_ " Mimi's thoughts extended out to the clones who nodded, and formed a perimeter looking for an opening through Ozpin's wall. _I can't drag this out._ Mimi thought bitterly to herself. Even though she had received a massive boost of stamina from the energies of the spawn pit the act of creating, and reforming clones took a lot out of her; not to mention just sustaining them. She could actively feel her energy reserves depleting. _I'm getting a lot more respect for Chief if he was able to keep that many centaurs active while going through this._ The pause continued as the flame wall continued to burn. _Just how long can he keep this up?_ Magic, and its properties were a complete mystery to her; even her inner Grimm was quiet signaling it knew nothing more. Could he even get tired from this? Was magic a limitless source of power? Mimi shook her head. _There HAS to be a cost to this much power…_ The wall continued to burn. _…Right?..._ Her thoughts were interrupted as something burst through the flame wall. Ozpin was surrounded by what appeared to be an orb of pure magic that protected him from the flames. He was also flying roughly ten feet in the air. The three closest ooze clones quickly reacted by activating their Kinderträumen to intercept. Ozpin didn't even look at them as their glaives merely bounced off the magic bubble. _THAT'S CHEATING!_ Mimi leapt into the air at Ozpin, who responded by forming magic circles around his bubble that fired jets of flame at her, and the three ooze clones that failed to pierce his bubble. Two more clones were instantly incinerated, while the third managed to dodge, and Mimi used her Kinderträumen's thrusters to bring herself higher. The two ooze clones that were caught by the jet didn't reform.

"Hm, so it's fire then?" Ozpin mused to himself as he watched the ashes of the two dead clones fall to the ground from safely inside his bubble. Going for a strike, Mimi activated Kinderträumen causing her to go into a deadly spin. Her blade couldn't pierce the bubble, but when Mimi struck, and landed on it she felt the bubble sag in the air slightly, and saw Ozpin shift his balance.

 _Is this thing affected by physics?_ Ozpin looked up at her while she was in thought.

"Monsters are meant to be slain by heroes, mimic." He raised his hand towards her, and a magic circle appeared under her feet. "So please, just die already!" This time, instead of flame, a wave of magic force pulsed out throwing Mimi into the air, and slamming her on the ceiling of the room thirty feet up. Quickly spinning on instinct, Mimi impaled Kinderträumen into the ceiling allowing her to stay up, and view the situation from on high. Her eyes pulsed, again, as two fresh clones emerged to replace their fallen sisters. "And yet, still you fight." Ozpin's voice, and body posture held an air of arrogance as he snapped his fingers causing more magic circles to appear outside his bubble. "Useless."

 _Useless?_ Mimi ground her teeth as Ozpin's words started repeating over, and over in her head. _Getting cocky because you're safe inside that bubble?_ The ooze clones started to get antsy, and mooed at him causing Ozpin to look at them in confusion; taking his attention away from Mimi. _I'll show you useless you_ _ **PIECE OF SHIT!**_ Kinderträumen's thrusters kicked to life as Mimi launched herself off the ceiling with her feet, and used the thrusters to further increase her speed. Jade had done a similar tactic when she launched her backpack with the dust canisters to summon her clone, so Mimi figured it would also work on bubbles filled with arrogant bastards. Using the speed she'd attained, and her inhuman strength from becoming a creature of Grimm, Mimi swung Kinderträumen like a baseball bat hitting Ozpin's bubble.

"Wha-AAH!?" Mimi's gambit paid off as the force of her swing rocketed the bubble straight down slamming it into the floor so hard it left an indent in the floor. Ozpin also hit the floor of his bubble hard, and the magic flickered as he was stunned. Not wasting any time, the ooze clones raced to the bubble, and began hammering it with continuous strikes from their glaives. With every blow the bubble flickered more, and more as Ozpin struggled to regain his composure. However, under the onslaught of all seven ooze clones the bubble finally burst, and Ozpin felt a glaive slam into his gut. His aura held on the first hit, but then came the second, and third, and fourth. The ooze clones were hitting him around like a pin-ball machine. He couldn't get his footing, and the constant assault stopped him from fully recovering his composure. Ozpin, while not fully out of his daze, realized his situation was dire, and decided recklessness was better than death. "BACK!" Within a fraction of a second: magic circles formed around him, shrunk to the size of a pin point in his hand, and exploded out in a deadly ring of force that sliced all the surrounded ooze clones in half. Limbs flew. Bodies were bisected. It was the break Ozpin was looking for. Quickly channeling wind magic at his feet, Ozpin went to launch himself back into the air where he had an advantage.

 _Not this time!_ Mimi charged Ozpin while he was just leaving the ground, used Kinderträumen to go into a deadly spin, and slammed him back down. With her aura sight Mimi could see Ozpin's already beaten aura was starting to shrink, but it quickly flared back to life as Ozpin's magic compensated. _Oh, come_ _ **ON!**_ Her eyes flashed, and the ooze clones reformed themselves back together while she kept Ozpin grounded, and on the defense. As the clones joined in the assault, they managed to push Ozpin back to the edge of the spawning pit which still had some black ooze bubbling within. Ozpin suddenly poured all his magic into pushing the fight away from the pit. _Wait…_ Mimi recalled earlier when he had her pinned before she had summoned any clones that Ozpin, while he did come down, and approached to kill her, stopped at the edge of the spawning pit. And, now, he was actively avoiding the pit, trying to steer the fight away.

 _ **It is…us…**_ Mimi heard her inner Grimm's voice deep within her mind. _**The essence…of all Grimm…all he gave us…his gift…death…of all…they had built…**_

 _Death of all they had built…_ It was clear that Mimi had fallen down the rabbit hole into Remnants past, and that it held an untold number of mysteries. _What about magic?_ Mimi continued her pressure on Ozpin to keep him around the pit as best she could, and questioned her inner Grimm. _Was magic built by 'them' as well?_

 _ **Magic…a gift…built for…their children…it was…his…**_

 _Perfect!_ Ozpin was still being forced to stay by the spawning pool's edge, so it was the best time to execute her plan. Mimi broke off from the fight for a moment, and her eyes pulsed as she focused on the pool. The black ooze bubbled, and writhed as it started to flow towards where Ozpin, and the ooze clones were fighting. Rising out of the pit wasn't a typical clone, but rather a humanoid figure that remained as shimmering ooze rather than forming itself to look like Jade. This new creature distracted Ozpin for a second, which was all the time needed as three clones all swung in unison forcing Ozpin back, and unable to move while the ooze mass collapsed out of the pool. Its form wasn't stable enough to last, but it didn't need to as the three clones had managed to force Ozpin to stay in one place allowing the ooze mass to fall on top of him.

"WHAT THE?!" The weight of the ooze mass caused Ozpin to fall forward onto the ground as he was completely washed over with the black ooze of Grimm. Mimi watched as the rainbow of color that usually adorned Ozpin's aura was snuffed out.

" _NOW!_ " One of the ooze clones picked up Ozpin out of the ooze, and the clones began pin-balling him, again. Mimi's plan worked as without his magic, which was temporarily snuffed out by the black ooze, Ozpin's aura faltered, and went out.

"I SAID BACK!" A rainbow haze erupted from Ozpin's right hand even though his aura had fallen as he forced his magic to resurface itself. But, as he went to do the hand gestures, the first clone did a downward strike, and sliced off his right arm at the elbow. Ozpin was stunned for a brief moment, and went to scream only for all seven clones to move in, and impale him on all seven of their glaives. Three went through his chest, two pierced his left arm, and the remaining two went for each leg. The clones hoisted his body into the air causing him to slide down further into the blades. A look of complete shock, and horror adorned Ozpin's face, and blood erupted from his mouth as he coughed trying to breath with one of the glaives going right through his left lung. Mimi approached, and the ooze clones lowered Ozpin onto the ground so he was on his back.

 _Useless, was I?_ Mimi scoffed at him in her mind, and let out a low growl as she looked down on the man.

"You…" Ozpin forced himself to speak, "You…have no idea…what you're doing!" He tried moving his limbs. "Don't you get it…? I'm trying…to SAVE humanity!" More blood came out as he coughed. "Surly…there's at least SOME semblance of humanity…left within you? Valus?" Mimi remained quiet, and narrowed her eyes. "Somewhere…that wants to see humanity prosper…? I…am trying to achieve that! Only with my leadershi-" Kinderträumen's blade pierced through Ozpin's head stopping him from speaking further; Mimi had heard enough. As his eyes clouded over, Mimi saw the rainbow haze rise off the body, and begin floating out of the room. She'd never seen that before, but figured it was some kind of magic that allowed him to continue existing since he was one of the 'before' people. Either way, her deal with Salem was complete; she killed the headmaster of Beacon Academy. She let out a long overdue sigh of relief, and let Kinderträumen dematerialize out of her hand as she fell to her knees.

 _Man…I just got up, too._ She felt tired, stiff, and now sore. She rubbed the back of her neck to try, and massage away some of the soreness, but heard footsteps approaching her. Mimi turned to find the first clone, the one which was most completely formed, had approached her with a smile on its face. _Oh…right…_ All seven clones were looking at her. _You guys…_ She wasn't entirely sure what exactly to do with them. They didn't act like normal creatures of Grimm. Were they like…her children then? Mimi's expression became vacant. Did she accidentally become a mother? _Mom…Dad…I'm REALLY sorry about this._ She was brought out of her thoughts as Mimi swore she heard the first clone giggle. Mimi looked up, and saw that the other six clones were walking over to the spawning pool. When they reached the black ooze their bodies simply broke apart, and dissolved back into the pool. When they finished the pool fell still once more, a drain that Mimi forgot was there was lifted, and she felt her stamina gradually replenishing itself now that it wasn't maintaining seven ooze clones. The first clone, however, remained standing in front of her. Mimi looked into its one formed eye that held a softness to it, and wasn't sure what to do. The clone smiled, which caused a smile to form on Mimi's lips as she remembered Jade's words to her; ' _Who said I ever left?_ ' Mimi chuckled to herself. _Thanks for the assist, Jade._ The clone's smile brightened when Mimi thought this, and went in for a hug; a hug that Mimi returned in kind. As Mimi held the clone in a tight embrace, the red lines, and her eyes began to burn with a red light as her semblance activated itself, and she felt the clone's body begin to lose form. Her body was absorbing the clone. Confused, Mimi tried to let go of the embrace, but found the clone was already absorbing into her, and she couldn't let go. Then, she felt like her head was on fire. Mimi grabbed her head, and let out a cry. The red markings on her body, and her eyes started to glow brighter, and brighter. Black smoke started to pour out of her arms, and began to swirl, and surround her. _Wh-…What's…?!_ The burning feeling quickly spread to her entire body. Mimi shut her eyes, and begged for the pain to end. And, it did. _…That actually worked?_ Hesitantly, Mimi opened her eyes, and brought her hands down from her head. _What was tha-…?_ She interrupted her own thoughts as she answered her own question as quickly as she had asked. Mimi stared at her arms which had a rich, caramel brown skin color, and silver metal gauntlets that adorned them. One of the terminals had a glass door to it in the room that was still intact, and Mimi ran over to it. Her skin, once completely pitch black, was its normal caramel brown coloring. The various pieces of bone armor, and shaped flesh that adorned her had the look of brown leather, and iron pieces of plate. All her bone spikes were gone, except for the magnificent antlers that still adorned her head. Mimi looked like a completely normal Faunus. _Ho-…Wh-…_ She opened her mouth, and tried to speak, but only the low moo of her centaur-like cry came out of her throat, and her brown, human eyes pulsed red.

* * *

Volume 5 complete. New powers, and secrets are abound as we press ever onward on Mimi's journey for revenge!

Volume 6 begins May 3rd with Chapter 71: Alexandria's Twilight


	71. Alexandria's Twilight

Mimi continued to stare at herself in the mirror completely dumbfounded. _I'm…me, again…_ She lightly touched her face before moving her hand away to look at it. _Well…almost._ A low bleat escaped her throat as she tried to speak once more. While it may look the same, except for the antlers, this was still a false front. Concentrating, Mimi's eyes flashed red, and a plum of black mist swirled around her for a few seconds before dissipating to reveal her Grimm form. The reflection stared back at her with its pupil-less eyes. Her Grimm form was by far more comfortable, but… _Just a little longer._ The mist returned, and dispersed revealing her Faunus form. Her Faunus form wasn't uncomfortable, per-say, but it was like the difference between wearing loose fitting athletic clothing, and dress attire; the Faunus form felt confining. Mimi was so deep in her own thoughts that when she heard a cough from the other side of the room she jumped with surprise.

"So…that's what…you look like…" The Conductor, during Mimi's fight with Ozpin, had crawled his way over to the wall, and propped himself up against it. Walking over to him Mimi could see he was covered in blood, and riddled with bullet holes. He was slouched over, and was barely able to keep his head up. Mimi knelt down next to him, and saw a notebook poking out of his bag. "Though…if I recall…you weren't a Faunus before…Some new ability?"

" _Seems like it._ " She looked him over. " _You look like shit._ " The Conductor read, and tried to laugh, but only managed to cough up a lung.

"Yeah…well…I've seen better days…" Being this close to him, Mimi saw that his hat had fallen off, and there were weird stubs on top of his head that looked vaguely like… "Ears…" Mimi blinked not realizing she had been staring.

" _You're a Faunus?_ "

The Conductor weakly nodded, "And, I hate it…" His face, for the first time since Mimi had known him, took on a dower look. "Listen, being a Faunus…nothing good's ever come of being one of us…" Mimi recalled her time years ago in Vale when she'd seen a Faunus man get blamed for a crime he obviously didn't commit, but the police still arrested him. A twang of sadness pulsed through Mimi as she realized what she was looking at.

" _Humans did that to you?_ "

Again, the Conductor nodded, "I used to be a thief…" He scoffed. "Used to…listen to me like I'm …something more than some wild dog…" Tired eyes looked up at Mimi. "You're from Vacuo…right?" Mimi nodded. "I hear…it was never as bad in Vacuo…as here…Did you ever…make friends with a Faunus, Miss Valus?" His tone was completely genuine. _Of course it is. He knows his time is almost over._

" _I had a few Faunus friends growing up._ " Images of Terric, and Chris immediately came to mind, as did other Faunus children she'd gone to school with, and was on friendly terms.

"Good…" The Conductor let out a long sigh. "If I'd lived in Vacuo…then maybe things would have been different…" He shook his head. "Aw, who am I kidding…Once a thief…always a thief…" The Conductor fell silent after that, and his breathing slowed. Mimi knew what was coming, and sat down next to him. This got him to chuckle. "You'd spend a few moments…with a dying dog?" A note was pressed into his hand.

" _This isn't the first time I've stayed with someone on death's door._ " This got another chuckle out of the Conductor.

"You sure are something else…Miss Valus…" After a few moments of silence he spoke, again. "Mistral." Mimi turned her head, and cocked an eyebrow at him. "I…did some digging over the last…twelve years you were out…" His hand slowly rummaged through his pocket before emerging with a cigarette, and lighter. "Frost Maximilian…was last seen…in Mistral…" He tried to light the cigarette, but his hand fumbled, and the lighter fell to the floor.

" _That stuff's bad for you._ " Mimi put the note on his lap, picked up the lighter, and lit the Conductor's cigarette.

"Yeah…It is…And, I've been clean for…oh…seventeen years now?" He smiled, took a long drag from it, and blew smoke out of his mouth. "Let a dying man be…" They both chuckled. Again, silence fell between the two. Mimi could see his aura slowly fade, and flicker out. The Conductor's head limply hung, and the cigarette fell to the floor. Mimi continued to sit for a few more minutes taking it all in.

 _Mistral._ Both Frost, and Shiro were wearing Mistral insignia's on their uniforms when they killed her family; only Fox was from Atlas. _I guess it would make sense for him to return to Mistral after the war._ She let out a sigh. _That just leaves all of Mistral to scour for him._ This is turning out to be like trying to find Shiro, but at least Sandra was able to narrow down the city he was in. _Sandra…_ Mimi's mind didn't often wander to her time with the Wolves of Karsk. Sandra. Tom. Bengul. The last time she saw them was over a decade ago. A part of her wondered what they were doing, now? She could visit them. Her eyes narrowed. _**No.**_ Mimi was two thirds of the way to her revenge; what was she doing thinking about stopping to go back to Vacuo? Clenching her hand into a fist, and standing up Mimi pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She had to keep moving forward. _But…when this is all over…maybe…_ Mimi slapped her cheeks. She would worry about what to do then after Frost was dead; only then would she allow herself to think about what comes next.

* * *

 _Thank goodness for exit signs._ Mimi had left the spawning pool room, and was currently wandering through the Alexandria facility trying to find an exit; luckily there were exit signs posted throughout the facility leading the way. The down side? _It's all stairs!_ Because the captured creatures of Grimm had escaped the entire facility was on lock-down, and all the elevators were shut down; meaning Mimi was climbing very long stairwells. She wasn't physically getting tired, but mentally she was cursing as every floor's exit sign just pointed up the next flight of stairs. _Just how deep under the mountain am I?_ There were a few corpses on the stairs, and a Grimm would occasionally pass her on its hunt for more people. All the Grimm Mimi came across seemed to keep her distance whenever she approached. Some looked confused as when they look at her they see a Faunus, but when they get close enough to really 'see' her they stop, and sniff at her in confusion.

 _Something wrong?_ Mimi projected her thoughts out to the creeps that were currently sniffing her in confusion. One tilted its head to the side as it was now even more confused. The creeps barked at each other for a bit before running off down a corridor. Mimi sniffed the air, and caught a whiff of some fresh fear in the air coming from where the creeps had run off too. She shook her head. _No time for snacks._ Begrudgingly, she looked up the stairwell. _…Still more…_

* * *

 _FINALLY!_ A fresh breeze hit Mimi's face as she tore open the metal door that was closed from the lock-down. A few beowolves, and beringels helped her as even the Grimm were getting tired of the endless sterile hallways of the facility. Grimm began pouring out onto the loading pad which was large enough to be about eight city blocks. The sun was out, the trees below had green leaves, and the air was warm. _Must be the beginning of summer._ The avian Grimm 'happily' circled the mountain overhead taking full advantage of being able to stretch their wings again. Thankfully, for the others who were stuck on the ground, the mountain side wasn't too steep, and could be scaled with relative ease. Mimi walked over too, and peered over the edge to the forest below. An exasperated groan escaped her lungs. _I climbed all the way to the TOP of this facility only for me to now need to go right back DOWN._ She rubbed her face with her hands. _I REALLY hate this place._


	72. My Life for a Boat

"And so, the unknown has come back into play." Salem was sitting on her throne intently watching the orb of a seer that was floating in front of her. She watched as Mimi, and the other Grimm that were freed scale their way down the mountainside. The seer she was using to view Mimi was hidden among the crowd of the other Grimm as she wanted to see what Mimi would do on her own now that the Conductor had fulfilled his purpose.

"A shame, really, I rather liked the man." A man in a pressed suit stood by as Salem was watching Mimi. His black hair was neatly cut short, he had on a pair of glasses, and even though he stood before Salem he held an air of authority about him as he watched the seer. "It's rare to find a drinking partner as charming as he was."

"The Conductor played his part perfectly, and met a satisfactory end serving my plans." Her eyes flicked to the man for a brief moment as she added, "A fate all who serve me should aspire to achieve, Instigator." The Instigator smiled a bemused smile.

"But of course, Mistress Salem. A life not spent giving one's all to aiding in your divine cause is a life wasted!" He gave a deep, overly dramatic bow to the point his body was making a twenty degree angle where he stood. Salem still wasn't sure how he never fell over doing that. "I would gladly give you the lives of everyone on Remnant to reach your ambitions!"

"Everyone's life except your own?" Salem added in a monotone voice.

"Perish the thought!" The Instigator straightened his back, and stood at attention. With a swift flick of his wrist he drew a dagger from his sleeve, and pressed it against his neck. "If your wish is for my death then I beg of you to simply say the word!" A coy smile played on Salem's lips. The Instigator was an odd fellow to be sure, but it was for that reason Salem tolerated his quirks. The willingness to snuff out his own life with the uttering of a word is a loyalty not easily found in the world of man.

She didn't look at him as she responded, "Your will is admirable, Instigator, but your haste still needs to be kept in check. You're still useful to me breathing, so enough with the knives." Salem waved a hand dismissively, and the Instigator sheathed his blade.

"Of course, Mistress Salem. Then, perhaps, is that why you've summoned me?" Salem noted how it was like looking at a puppy whenever she had a task for the Instigator to do; eager to please with the utmost enthusiasm.

"Yes," she began, and the image in the seer clouded over for a brief moment before coming back to the image of a coastal town. "By the looks of her current course the mimic will attempt to find passage to Mistral via boat from the port town of Farsight. You still have contacts with the criminal syndicates that operate in that area, correct?" A devilish smile played across the Instigator's face.

"But, of course!" He swiftly pulled a scroll from his pocket, turned it on, and adjusted his glasses. "Just tell me what you need."

* * *

 _Welcome to Farsight: Gateway to Remnant._ Mimi walked down the road passed the sign that marked the entrance to the town. Farsight was a rather bustling town that sat on Vale's eastern coastline, and was one of the largest towns as it, as its slogan said, was the primary port out of Vale to both the continents of Solitas, and Anima. Mimi also recognized a large train station whose tracks led deeper into Sanus, and probably went all the way to Vacuo. _I can get to anywhere on Remnant from here…_ It felt weird at first to not wear her usual yellow cloak while in broad daylight traveling through a settlement, but it was refreshing to not be smothered by it. As she wandered the streets Mimi noticed something she'd never paid attention to before; there was a distinct lack of Faunus out, and about. There were some, sure, but the ratio for such a major port city should have been much more evenly distributed, right? It was a beautifully sunny day out, too, but there were no Faunus children running around, or even playing at the park Mimi passed. Only human ones. _Nothing good's ever come of being one of us._ That phrase echoed in her mind as she started to feel eyes watching her. They weren't just from the shadows either as even the people who were walking on the sidewalk were giving her downward looks of contempt. No one said, or did anything, but there was an oppressive weight Mimi started to feel get heavier, and heavier as she continued walking through town. _Now I know why there's no Faunus just wandering around._

Eventually, Mimi found her way to the docks which was just as bustling, if not more so, than the town's square despite the drastic smell. Then again, it was a smell that only she could smell; death. Not human, or Faunus deaths, but crate-full after crate-full of freshly killed sea life that permeated the docks, and nearby market. It smelled rather fishy. Cargo ships were having their goods unloaded by a fleet of workers, passenger ships had streams of people trickling on, and off as needed, and even a few private boats looked to be docked with a few…exquisite looking individuals manning them.

"Beat it, freak."

"Get lost."

"Scram, ya animal!"

… _Exquisite…And complete assholes._ Everyone she tried to talk to was the same; she, as a Faunus, wasn't welcome. Some didn't even give her the time of day, and went on with their business without appearing to notice her. Mimi sat on one of the benches that dotted the piers, and held her head in her hands. _These damned antlers!_ She'd tried to dismiss them, but they wouldn't disappear no matter how hard she focused. A heavy sigh escaped her lungs. _I guess I don't have complete control over what I look like. But, still, was it always this bad?_

"Excuse me, Miss?" Mimi slightly jumped as a rather chubby looking man was standing in front of her with a warm smile on his face. She narrowed her eyes as she hadn't heard him approach. "Might I interest you in ferrying you across the sea too far off lands?" Not entirely sure what to do, Mimi blankly stared at the man. Even though he seemed a jolly fellow, Mimi could see an aura of blood lust hanging in the air around him. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Donavon Dovinson, captain of the Salty Seahorse, at your service!" Mimi was taken completely by surprise as Donavon held out his hand for her to shake; which she hesitantly did.

" _I don't mean to sound rude, but why are you acting so nice to me, Mr. Dovinson?_ " The lingering blood lust was still hanging on Donavon, but his outward appearance showed none of it.

"Ah, because you're a Faunus, yes?" Mimi nodded. "That's because I'm a man of business, my dear. Human, or Faunus, if you've the coin then I'm your man!" He puffed out his chest as he spoke with deeply embedded pride at that statement. "And, I know a Faunus who's down on their luck when I see it." He leaned in close. "When you live here as long as I have it gets quite obvious."

 _Well, at least he's a partially honest businessman…I think…_ There was still the question of the blood lust hanging about him. And, as she walked with him across the docks, she started to notice another scent lingering on the man. The scent was…perverse? It was muddled with the blood lust too much to get a clear read on what the second scent was, but either way Mimi kept her guard up while they walked. Donavon was apparently part of some family whose roots are deeply tied to sailing as he went on about his various ancestors, and Mimi finally gave him her name.

"So that's when I stopped trusting uncle Porter, Mimi. Bless his soul. Ah, how time flies! Here we are!" The two of them were standing in front of a medium sized passenger ship that looked fresh out of the craftsman workshop. "A beaut, ain't she? Love this boat. I always make sure she's spotless after every voyage. As uncle Porter always said: 'If you put in the love, you boat will last an eternity.' One of the few useful things he said." Mimi looked up at the boat, and started rummaging through her pockets for what few Lien she had in hopes she had enough. Upon hearing the jingle of coin, Donavon turned to Mimi, and spoke, "Please, Mimi, consider this voyage on the house." This set off Mimi's instincts as she eyes Donavon suspiciously.

" _For a man of business that's awfully generous._ "

"True, but whenever I deal with Faunus they don't have the deepest of wallets, so instead I like to have those who can't pay normally to help out around deck during the voyage." He gestured to the crewmen who were currently cleaning the deck. "You said you were a huntsman earlier, so aside from helping keep our craft clean you can provide us with aid if we get set upon by Grimm." He raised an eyebrow, "I'm not doing this _purely_ out of the kindness of my heart, after all." Mimi sighed. Despite the obvious warning signs she saw with the lingering blood lust Donavon was the only person who was willing to give her a ride to Anima. The docks were also regularly patrolled by police, and she could tell there was a tail on her to watch, and make sure she didn't try to sneak onto any boats. None of the humans had tails, of course, just her.

" _Alright, Donavon, you've got a deal._ " Mimi handed him the note, and stuck out her hand.

"Wonderful! Welcome aboard, Miss Valus!" he said, and shook her hand before leading her up the boarding ramp, and onto the boat.


	73. Seasick

"Ahhh! You just gotta love that fresh ocean air!" Donavon stood proud on the deck of the Salty Seahorse as it leisurely sailed its way towards Anima. There was a beautiful breeze, barely a cloud in the sky, and the crew's spirits were up as they went about their duties with smiles on their faces, and…raunchy jokes spewing from their mouths. Mimi rolled her eyes, and gave a defeated sigh as, with her enhanced senses, she overheard two of them rating her body on some absurd scale they'd made up. "Apologies, Mimi. We're all sailors to our cores here on the Salty Seahorse. That includes our mannerisms." His tone was lighthearted enough to come across as harmless, so Mimi decided to let it slide, and she waved a hand dismissively while holding a soft smile on her face. There was still a blood lust about him, and the crew, but they had actively been fishing while they sailed, so she chalked it up to that.

 _Boat people are weird…Just something I'm gonna have to get used to, I guess._ Mimi returned her gaze to the endless blue horizon that stretched out in front of her. This was her first time on a boat, and she felt a childlike glee welling up inside of her at this wondrous experience.

"First time?" Donavon crossed his arms as he bemusedly watched her stare out into the distance. Mimi nodded.

" _I grew up in Vacuo, so I've never had the chance to see the ocean; let alone sail on it._ "

"Ah, I forget you're from Vacuo." He joined her as their gazes went to the ocean blue. "I grew up in Farsight, so I've had the ocean my whole life. It's easy to forget there are people out there who've never laid eyes on it; 'specially someone as old as you." He eyed her up, and down. "You don't look much older than twenty." Mimi paused for a moment at that as she was about to write down her actual age, but decided against it.

" _Nineteen, actually._ "

"A young adult out to see the world!" Donavon gave a shout with a huge smile on his lips. "This is why I love being a captain; I get to meet all sorts of people who're just starting their journeys."

 _Yeah…'starting'…_ Mimi rolled her eyes at that, and went back to focusing on the horizon. The two stood in silence for a few moments enjoying the ocean breeze before Mimi gently poked Donavon's shoulder, and handed him a note. " _By the way, how much fish did you stock up on for the trip?_ " Donavon raised an eyebrow.

"Fish?" He scratched his head for a bit, "Don't tell me you're not a fan of fish! We've only just begun the voyage."

" _No, fish is fine, it's just that it smells a bit too fishy here._ "

"…"

…

"Mimi…You…do realize we're on the ocean…right?" Mimi slowly blinked as her mind caught up with her, and she face palmed.

* * *

One week into the journey, and Mimi had had it with the lingering smell of dead fish. While it was keeping her fed it just seemed weird. _Animals never gave me this much nutrients._ She skulked her way from her cabin room to the entrance to the lower decks. _Then again, I've never been on the ocean before, or really ever had fish. Maybe they're like a Grimm delicacy?_ Traveling below deck, Mimi followed the pungent odor through the bowels of the ship. Her hunt eventually led her to a door with a sign that read 'Trash Room'. _…Of course it'd be from here…_ Putting her hand on the handle Mimi found the door to be unlocked, so she pushed it open, and entered the room. _…Oh…I see…_ There were certainly fish in the room, enough that a wave of sea food scent assaulted her nose once released from the room, but it was the second scent that Mimi wasn't expecting. Covered by the multitude of fish, as well as other trash the crew had thrown away, were the corpses of seven Faunus women. Some held looks of horror on their faces, while others held shock, and some even looked completely defeated. They were covered in cuts, bruises, blood, and…

"Come to visit the trash, 'ey Mimi?" Donavon's voice came from behind her, and Mimi turned around to find him, and four other crewmen in the doorway.

… _So…It wasn't a bloodlust for fish._ Two of the crewmen weren't wearing pants. _…Or a lust for them, either._ Mimi tilted her head as she thought about it for a moment. _Which is why they were rating me these past few days, too._

"Normally," Donavon spoke bringing Mimi out of her thoughts, and she noted that the blood lust, and regular lust was rising among the men, "We like to have our fun a little further along in the trip. Spend a few weeks out at sea, enjoy the voyage, and play with the latest toy we get our hands on." He took a step forward. "Personally, I like my meat aged a bit more, but Fergus here insists that younger is better, and I'm hoping you'll help us put an end to the debate."

 _You guys actually debate stuff like that?_ Mimi cocked her head to one side which caused Donavon to pause.

"You…do realize what's about to happen here, right?" The other crewmen started moving in as Mimi stood her ground with an indifferent expression on her face. "You're going to be our pet for the rest of the trip, and then you're going to be joining the rest of the leftovers in here for the next pet to find." He gestured to the corpses around them, and pressed again trying to get a reaction out of Mimi, "You get it?" Instead, Mimi just gave a heavy sigh, which caused the five men to pause, and look at her in confusion.

"She's already resigned herself!" Eventually, one of the men spoke up, and tried to rationalize Mimi's reaction to the situation. He went to grab her belt, and tear off her clothes. "She's in too much shock, which is fine since I can't-…I can't…"

"Fergus?" Donavon asked as he watched Fergus continue to pull at Mimi's belt.

"I can't get her belt off." He tried to jiggle it, pull it, and undo the buckle, but the belt didn't budge an inch from where it was. It was as if the belt was fused to her. "Fuckin…It's stuck or som-ACK!" Fergus' sentence was abruptly cut off as Mimi's left hand shot up, and held his throat in a death grip. His hands quickly moved up to his neck to try, and pry her hand off him so he could breathe again. However, Mimi's grip was absolute, even against a fully grown adult like Fergus. The others stood by in shock as Fergus continued to cough, and writhe as Mimi's grip began to tighten around the man's neck. He fell to his knees, and his cobalt aura became visible around his neck where Mimi was gripping as it tried to fight against the choking.

 _Just when I was starting to enjoy the trip._ Mimi gave an annoyed sigh as she continued to crush Fergus' windpipe. Even since she woke up in Alexandria Mimi had felt more susceptible to having emotions, which she chalked up to the fact that Jade was actively in her 'soul' trying to keep her on the right path. Which, to be fair, Mimi didn't consider a bad thing as she still saw value in her human half. Before, Mimi would not have cared about standing in a room full of corpses; no matter how desecrated they were. It was part of being a creature of Grimm. If anything, she would have secretly been relieved to know that such a source of death was near her on the ocean so that she wouldn't need to go hunting for a while. But, that was then, and right now there was a pulling in Mimi's heart as she cast her gaze back over the corpses of the dead Faunus. Now, all she felt was disgust. _To think it was this bad for some Faunus…_ Her grip tightened, again, as she thought back to how care free it was in Vacuo with the Faunus. If you could pull your weight, and survive, then you were a member of Vacuo. Looks like that wasn't how things worked anywhere else on Remnant. _I'm no hero of justice like Jade…But…_ Fergus' aura flared bright. _I hope you ladies don't mind a_ _ **beast of vengeance, instead**_ _._ His aura shattered, and Mimi's hand clenched into a tight fist. The front half of Fergus' throat was crushed, and ripped off leaving him to grasp at his now open throat as he tried to contemplate what happened. He tried to stand, but just slumped back down, and fell face first onto the floor; the life faded from his eyes.

"Ah…Ah…" Donavon tried to speak, but was in shock, and the other three crewmen were stunned silent. Slowly, Mimi unclenched her fist, and Fergus' throat wetly plopped onto the floor, and blood dripped from Mimi's hand. Mimi took a step forward. Everyone took a step back. "What in the FUCKING HELLS-!" Donavon drew a revolver, and two of the crewmen drew cutlasses. Mimi gave another sigh as her eyes flashed red, and black smoke erupted out of her skin, and swirled around her.

"BOSS?!" One of the crewmen shouted. As he was about to speak again, four gunshots rang out in rapid succession, and the man dropped to the floor with his brain matter staining the wall behind him. Donavon turned back to the black smoke to find it dissipating, and it revealed a true nightmare.

"GRIMM!" One of the crewmen let out a cry, and Mimi could hear shuffling on the deck above her. The cutlass wielding crewmen charged with their blades raised ready to strike. A flash of red from Mimi's eyes was all the warning they got as her gun dissipated into black mist, and she grabbed the mist only for it to elongate into a demonic looking blade. With one swift strike Mimi sliced through their auras, and severed the crewmen's heads from their shoulders.

"S…STAY BACK!" Donavon leveled his revolver at Mimi, and opened fire. But, he watched in horror as his bullet merely bounced off Mimi's skin. The negative emotions, and lingering death were all to potent here, and caused Mimi to regenerate fast enough that his standard bullets couldn't pierce her skin. "AW! FUCK!" Another shot. "FUCK!" Another bounce. "FUCK!" He continued to shoot until the revolver clicked empty. In that instant Mimi lunged at him. Donavon tried to back step, but tripped over himself, and fell on his butt. The wind was violently knocked out of him as Mimi's boot stomped down on his chest forcing him to the floor on his back.

 _A fitting place, don't you think?_ Mimi's foot slowly pressed down on Donavon's chest, and his aura flared. _After all, and I'm sure the ladies behind me would agree…_ Donavon's aura cracked. _**This is where trash like you belongs.**_


	74. Lingering Trails

"Three…Two…One…Breach!" The door opened, and soldiers filed in through the doorway leading to Alexandria's Grimm spawning pool observation deck with weapons raised. They'd fought their way through the facility level by level since some of the creatures of Grimm had decided to stay behind, and make the facility their lair. It was the fourth offensive push made by Vale's troops to make headway into reclaiming Alexandria, and the upper floors were locked down as order was being restored. Flashlights quickly scanned the room as the soldiers shuffled in. The leader reached up, and pressed a button on his radio. "Initial scan is clear; no sign of Grimm, or the target. Moving in for further investigation."

"Copy, Spectre-1. Continue your sweep of the deeper levels, and remain in constant communication. Over."

"Copy that, Command. Spectre-1 out." The leader stretched his arm out, and gestured for his squad to continue further into the room. The five man squad spread out to comb the deck while their flashlights danced across the room.

"The least they could do is turn the power back on for us," one of the soldiers grumbled to himself as his eyes fought to see in the pitch black darkness that surrounded them.

"That'd spook the Grimm, Silva," one of his squad mates retorted.

"Any more than us coming in here guns blazing already has? It's not like we were quiet with the upper floors, so I don't see wh-"

"Movement!" a soldier cried out, and all flashlights swung to where a table was flipped over on its side like some makeshift cover. A tense silence swept over the room as the soldiers slowly started advancing on the table. With all the lights they saw one of the shadows cast on the wall was twitching. The soldiers converged on the table, and went to surround it in a semicircle with one of the soldiers moving further in to get a look at what they were surrounding. However, when he was finally able to see what was behind the table his gun immediately lowered.

"A survivor!" All guns immediately lowered, and the one closest moved in to check on the survivor. "Hey! Sir, are you there?" He shook the man who was dressed in a scientist's uniform. "Sir?" The survivor was muttering something under his breath, and the soldier next to him moved in to hear. As the squad moved in to form a perimeter around the man they got a good look at their survivor.

"He looks emaciated. Here," the soldier took out a granola bar, and tossed it to the one kneeling next to the scientist, "Give him this."

The leader clicked on his radio, "Command, this is Spectre-1, come in."

"This is command, send traffic, Spectre-1."

"We have a survivor on sublevel 142. He's emaciated, and isn't responding to us. Have medical meet us halfway. Over."

"Is it the target, Spectre-1? Over." The squad leader knelt down, and turned over the survivor's I.D. card that was still clipped to his coat.

"Negative, the survivor is a scientist; one Dia Mund. Over." There was a pause on the other end that lasted an abnormal amount of time. "Command?"

"I hear you, Spectre-1, please stand by." The soldier kneeling next to Dia sighed in annoyance.

"What's there to 'stand by' for?"

"Wonder if this is someone special?"

"Cut the chatter," the squad lead barked. It took another minute before they heard a response.

"Spectre-1, this is command. Over."

"This is Spectre-1, we read you. Over."

"You are to remain in your current position, and secure the survivor. The joint huntsman will be coming to pick him up personally. How copy?" This time the squad leader was the one to roll his eyes.

"Solid copy. We'll keep him secured until the huntsman get here. Over." His hand fell to his side in annoyance, and he turned to his squad. "You heard 'em. I want every inch of this place checked, and locked down. Mista, Porr: you're with me in securing the scientist. Silva, Dew: you two check that hole in the window, and make sure nothing crawls up on us from the room below."

"Sir!" they all responded in unison, and broke off into their two groups. Silva, and Dew moved towards the broken window, and peered into the room below.

"Can't see shit. You?"

"Nothing." Dew took in a deep breath, and rummaged through his pack before producing a rope. "Time to investigate." They secured the rope to a support beam that was a few feet away, and began their descent. Silva went first while Dew stayed up on overwatch. "Anything?" Dew called down.

"We're clear." Hearing the response, Dew descended into the room. The two scanned the massive, open room, but their flashlights had trouble reaching the edges making it impossible to get a good read. They started moving through the room making sure to stay close to the wall so they had reference on where they were. As they went, Silva's flashlight moved over the spawning pit in the center of the room. "What is that?"

"No idea, but I'm guessing our scientist friend knows something about it." The pool's black liquid was calm, and completely still as the two soldiers continued to move through the room. They found scorched tiles, and scratch marks on the floor, and some of the terminals along the wall were busted in as if something was thrown into it. "What I wanna know is: what the heck happened here? None of the Grimm we met could spit fire."

"Honestly, we should've buried this place." Silva shook his head, and went back to scanning the room with his flashlight. "Wait. What's that?" His flashlight landed on a vaguely human looking lump that was lying on the ground. "Body." Silva took point in approaching the body while Dew watched his back, and continued to sweep the room. As Silva approached he recoiled at the state the body was in. "Holy shit," he muttered under his breath.

"How bad?"

"Missing his right arm, and multiple stab wounds across the body; one of them straight through the head." As Silva inspected the wounds he added with a tinge of panic in his voice, "This doesn't look like Grimm, Dew."

"What do you mean?" Dew moved in, and stood next to Silva over the corpse.

Silva pointed to the wounds across the body, "This is to clean for claws. And, the shape of the wound looks more like some kind of manufactured bladed weapon; man made." Both men felt their mouths dry up.

"Shit." Dew bit his lower lip. "He got an I.D.?"

"Hold on, lemme turn him ove-" he cut himself off as they instantly recognized the face of the man lying before them; it was the face of the person they were told to look for during their briefing. Silva grabbed his radio, "Sir! We found him!"

The leader instantly grabbed his own radio, "Say again, Silva, you've I. the target?"

"Yes, sir, it's the headmaster." There was a pause on the other end.

"I take it by the tone of your voice I'm to assume the worst?"

"Yes, sir, he's dead." The squad leader cursed under his breath when he heard Silva's reply. "And…"

"And?" It was Silva's turn to pause.

"We think there was foul play involved in his death."

"…"

"…"

"Bring him up here."

"Yes, sir." It took a few minutes, but Silva, and Dew managed to hoist Ozpin's corpse out of the spawning pool room, and up to the observation deck where the rest of their squad was waiting. The five men looked down at the corpse of the former headmaster of Beacon academy as Silva went over his thoughts on the wounds. When he finished they stood in silence, and the squad leader took in a long, deep breath, before letting out a sigh. He reached for his radio.

"Spectre-1 to command. Over"

"This is command, send traffic, Spectre-1."

"We have positive I.D. on the target. He's deceased; looks like a struggle. Over." He left out the part about Silva's theory for now.

"Confirm, Spectre-1, you have the target?"

"Confirmed; we have the headmaster of Beacon's corpse. Over."

"Roger, Spectre-1, continue to stand by for the huntsman team before extracting the target. How copy?"

"Solid copy, Spectre-1 will continue to hold. Over." He looked back to the corpse. "So, where the heck are our huntsman?"

"Just arrived." All five soldiers shot up, and faced the door to see a rather tall man with a gray beard enter the room followed by a woman who looked to be in her late twenties. "Apologies for the delay; Alexandria still isn't the safest of destinations."

"Van Grimmig?!" One of the soldiers stood up, and stared at Van Grimmig, who merely gave a warm smile. "You're part of the huntsman team?"

"Indeed," he said, and strode into the room while the woman slowly stalked behind. Van Grimmig stopped when he was next to Ozpin's corpse, and looked down at it. "So…This is where your foolishness brought you." The soldiers looked at each other in confusion at his words, but Van Grimmig paid their confusion no heed. "And, the survivor? Mr. Mund?" The squad leader pointed to the table Dia was still leaning against to find that the woman Van Grimmig was traveling with was already there, and leaning down next to Dia. She gently put her hand on Dia's chin, and forcibly turned his head to face her, and he stared into the woman's piercing blue eyes.

"A…Amber…?" Dia was still out of it, and wasn't fully sure what he was seeing. Amber held a neutral expression as she spoke, but her voice was low, and slightly threatening.

"Where is it, Dia?" Dia blinked a few times, but didn't respond. "Where. Is. The. Mimic?" Dia's gaze lost focus as his mind wandered back to what happened, and what he had overheard. From his vantage point in the observation deck he had witnessed the headmaster's impossible power, watched the ooze Jades emerge from the pool, beheld the mimic's battle with Ozpin, and overheard the conversation the mimic had with the Conductor.

"Mistral."


	75. Ghost Ship

"So I tells the guy: that ain't no beringel that's my wife!" Two men were sitting on the balcony of their lighthouse that overlooked the ocean, and beach from the cliff top. They roared in laughter as they told bad jokes, and stories to each other in order to pass the time of an otherwise dreary spring day. Snow was still on the ground, but only in piles where it was shoveled out of the way. The cooler of beer was half empty, and bottles lined the railing. "Bashed the poor sods head clean through the bar for that one!"

"HA! I bet Coralina wasn't as happy about that one." The two men shuddered at the thought of Coralina when she was angry. "Grimm of a woman that one."

"You can say that again." Their bottles clinked as they toasted to the thought. They sat for a few minutes enjoying the breeze before one of the men spoke. "It's about time to check," he said, and handed the other man binoculars. The first man took them begrudgingly.

"Yeah. Yeah. It's barely spring, so I doubt there's going to be any ships sailing this far north along the coast." He brought the binoculars up to his eyes, and started scanning the overcast horizon. "Yup…Yup…Whole 'lota no-…Wait a minute…" The second man peered up at the first with a cocked eyebrow.

"What? Some bastard crazy enough to be tempting fate?"

"Yeah…" Through his binoculars the man watched a boat appear off the horizon. "Looks abandoned, though; no one's on deck, and I can't see any lights."

"Oh what the heck." The second put down his beer, got up from his chair, and walked inside to the lighthouse beacon controls. "It's getting late, and is overcast. Can't these captains think for once in their sea lodged brains?" The man pressed, and held down a button causing the lighthouse's fog horn to blare across the sea. After a minute of waiting he blew the horn again.

"Wait…" The man with the binoculars watched the boat to try, and get a handling on where it was going. "It looks like it's just going with the tide."

"A ghost ship?" The man stepped away from the controls.

"Probably…" He narrowed his eyes. "And, it looks like the tides going to beach it." With the ship's current heading, and the way the tides were rolling the ghost ship would beach itself on the shore just north of their lighthouse. "Get word to Argus; they might've been expecting it. I'm gonna go check it out when it hits." The second man nodded, and went back to the phone. The man with the binoculars took his loaded backpack from the rack, and headed out to meet what interrupted their evening of drinking.

* * *

He got to the shoreline before the ship, but eventually the tide brought her in, and he watched as it got caught in the sand. The sun was setting, and it was getting darker. Giving a disgruntled sigh, he walked over to the ship, and clicked on his flashlight. The light whizzed across the hull of the ship as he drew close to get a better read on how good, or bad of a condition it was in. The bottom paint looked like it was starting to fail, and the sails were a tattered mess. However, he could make out the name of the boat as it was still proudly displayed on the side; the Salty Seahorse. The man rolled his eyes. "How original." Taking out a grappling hook from his backpack, the man threw it up so that it latched onto the railing of the deck. After a few tugs to make sure it would support him he scaled up the ship's hull, and clamored his way onto the deck. The entire ship was dark, so he started lighting flares, and tossing them around the ship, and on the deck to make sure his friend, and anyone Argus sent to check on it could find him in the growing darkness.

The bulkhead door creaked open as the man forced it open. It led to a stairwell that descended into the dark bowels of the ship. He tried a light switch that was on the wall next to him, but nothing happened when he flicked it. "Great…power's dead," he said to himself as he took in a deep breath, and let out a yell. "Hello!?" No response. "Is anyone down there?" Seconds passed, but again there was no response from below. There was a distinct smell of iron coming from below, too. "Huuu. I don't get paid enough to deal with this crap." Walking down the stairs he continued to survey the walls for any signs of damage. When he was about to reach the bottom, though, he froze as his light glinted off something at the bottom of the steps; it was a red puddle. "Shit…" Reaching into his backpack he pulled out a pistol, and loaded it before slowly continuing down the rest of the stairs. There was a pungent odor that made itself known as he finished his descent, and the man recoiled while pinching his nose with his free hand. He knelt down next to the puddle to get a better look at it, and realized it was blood. "Oh what the-."

The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed through the hallway. The man bolted up, immediately raised his pistol, and aimed the flashlight down the hall. His heart was racing as in the soft beam of the flashlight he could make out more puddles of blood, and that the walls were covered in scratches. Words failed him as a large lump had filled his throat, and his hands started trembling. Finally swallowing the lump he called out, "H-…Hello?" His mind was screaming at him to run away, but his legs were frozen in fear.

"H..p…" The man froze as a faint voice could be heard deeper within the ship. It sounded strained.

"Hello?!" The man's legs started inching forward; he wasn't about to leave someone to their death no matter how terrified he was.

"He…p…m…" The voice tried calling again, and was getting louder as he went further into the ship. Every doorway the man would stop, and scan the room with his flashlight. There was blood, and destroyed furniture everywhere he looked; he was even sure there were some bodies, but he never let his light linger long enough to figure it out. But, the man swallowed his fear, and pressed further. Eventually, he came across the room that the voice was coming from, and when he looked inside he threw up his dinner. Beaten, and broken bodies lined the room; some were left on the floor while others appear to have been chained to the walls. "Help…me…" The man got a hold of himself, and completely threw caution to the wind as he saw one of the bodies was still alive. The survivor looked like a sailor, and was probably one of the crewmen for the ship. He was emaciated, but still clinging to life. There were what looked like food crumbs, and crushed, spoiled food around him which is how he most likely survived so long at sea.

"Hey! Stay with me, man. Hey?!" He snapped his fingers in front of the survivor's face to get his attention, and was met with wild eyes.

"Y-…You're real?!"

"What?" The man was caught off guard by that remark, and looked over the survivor. "Of course I'm real. You're boat shipwrecked; you're in Mistral." The survivor blinked a few times, and repeated the word 'Mistral' over, and over again. "Geez, come on we need to get you out of here." The man went to grab the survivor, but the survivor pulled away, and cowered.

"NO!" he shouted, "NONONONO! It doesn't like it when we leave!" He looked around in panic. "Is it still here?!"

"Is what still here?"

"Th-…" The survivor went to speak but an oppressive atmosphere suddenly weighed down on both men's shoulders. The survivor went back to cowering, and the man was frozen in place. He heard something land to the right of him, and footsteps approached, but his gaze was locked to the floor. From the sound of the footsteps he guessed the new arrival was wearing armored boots of some kind. New arrival? The man knew better. The thing walking towards him now had been in the room the whole time watching him. The footsteps stopped, and he could tell the thing was right next to him, but all he could see out of the corner of his eye was an armored boot that seemed to be made of bone. A Grimm? With boots? He didn't look. His most base instincts told him that if he moved he would die. A presence lingered closer to him, and he could hear it sniffing him. The man couldn't even wet himself out of fear of incurring whatever it was that was next to him's wrath. After a few more sniffs the creature moved away from him, and he heard footsteps walking away towards the door. Even when the footsteps faded away into silence the man didn't move. Only when the Argus coast guard filed into the room with military grade weapons did he even dare to breath again.


	76. Getting By

"And, we're live in five. Four. Three. Two."

"Good evening, Mistral, I'm Tiffany Lavender, and welcome to the late night report here on the Mistral News Network. Coming up we look at the port city of Argus which has seen record income this past winter season, and the markets are still bursting with products; if you're in the area make sure to take advantage before everything is gone. Later, what flower best represents you, or your loved ones? We have our renowned botanist who will tell you that, and more as spring brings with it a wave of color to the Mistral country side.

Our top story tonight, however, is still the news that's sweeping the kingdom. For those not in the know, it's been almost a month now since the transport vessel, the Salty Seahorse, was found shipwrecked along the north western shores of the continent a short distance from the city of Argus. The ship left the port town of Farsight in Vale almost eight months ago, but never made it due to unknown reasons. While investigators are keeping much of the investigation under wraps, that has since changed. It has been revealed that the ship was, as many speculated, the victim of a Grimm attack that claimed the lives of all, but one of the crew members. This crewman is still in the hospital, and authorities refuse to name the survivor. For more on this story, you can visit our website…"

* * *

"BAH, nothing but conspiracy dribble all over that ship." A rather hearty looking man was downing his third beer with two friends while sitting at a table in a traveler's inn; the Drunken Dragon. It was located between the two inland towns of Kiku-ka and Kotokunibito, and is considered a safe haven to rest for the night in the middle of the otherwise Grimm infested forest that surrounds it. The current occupants were reaching their drinking limit. "Nothing but…LIES…and fakeness!"

One of his companions looked at him with a dazed look, "Aren't…you *hic*…the one who goes around…conspiracying, Sola?"

Sola slammed his fist on the table, "Listen here! I…I've never fallen for those…fakeness' okay?" He went to take another swig, but found his glass empty. With a low growl he looked over at the bar towards the barmaid. "Hey, birdie!" No response. "He-…Hensh-…"

"Henshoku," she replied in a very tired voice without even glancing over at the men. Henshoku was cleaning glasses over the sink that she could just reach by standing on top of an old wooden box. Her bright red, short hair was pushed out of her face, and the vibrantly red feathers that covered the back of her head were slicked back, and pointed back; similar to a cardinal bird.

"Birdie!" Henshoku sighed internally. "A bowl of that porridge you make so well!" Sola plopped both his arms down, but he forgot to catch his head, which ended up slamming onto the table. If he felt it he didn't show. Henshoku gave a verbal sigh, set down the glasses in the sink, and hopped off the box.

"Be grateful you're a regular, Sola," she said as she passed the men to go to the kitchen door.

"Daaww~. Is the little birdie gonna kick me out." Sola put on his best pouting face, which was saying something considering he had yet to pick his head up off the table's top. Sola's friend jabbed him in the ribs.

"Ah, lighten up on 'er, Sola. Remember, our little birdie's all on her own no-OW!" Sola smacked his friend in the back of the head, and glared at him. "WH-," he was about to retort, but all men turned towards the kitchen door when they heard it slam shut. They sat in silence with only the TV above the bar filling the room with the sound of the weather report.

"You apologize when she comes back, Groose," Sola stated. Groose mumbled under his breath, but didn't say anything, and silently nursed his drink.

Henshoku leaned back against the kitchen door, and clenched her fists as she did her best to keep herself in check; her aura flickered. 'Her best'. She'd been telling herself that phrase over, and over for the past three weeks. She was doing her best as a server. She was doing her best as a cook. She was doing her best to keep the inn her late father, and mother built out of the hands of strangers. She was doing her best, but her best was killing her. Unclenching her fists, Henshoku looked at her hands. Her fingers were littered with small cuts from mastering the various knives in her kitchen, and her left palm was scarred from a pot that was left over the fire for too long. Even though she steadied her breathing her hands still shook. They never stopped shaking. The bags under her eyes never went away, and she doubted they ever would fully believing they were permanent at this point. And, her aura… Henshoku watched as her aura flickered again, but forced it to re-solidify.

"No time," she muttered under her breath, "No time for rest. Rest comes later." The thirteen year old crossed the kitchen to a pot that had some porridge left in it, and hauled it over to the stove. There were boxes strategically placed all around the kitchen at places she frequently needed to be leaning up, and over; she was only four foot seven. The gas flames lit up, and Henshoku watched the pot while occasionally stirring to make sure it was nice, and evenly heated. Even though the Drunken Dragon was a traveler's inn in the middle of a dangerous forest, Sola, and his friends still frequented the place, and was her best customers. She had to make sure they stayed that way. She had to do her best to keep customers satisfied, and willing to give her business. Her eyes blankly stared at the porridge as she stirred. However, a shout came from the main room; a rather angry shout. Henshoku quickly turned off the stove, and ran to the door. A woman who was flanked by two other men all in matching black outfits had stormed their way into the inn, and were… _dealing_ with Sola's crew.

Sola was the one who was shouting, "You wanna say that again! Huuuh, punks?!" Looking around, Henshoku saw that Sola's drink was thrown on the floor, and the glass had shattered. The woman smirked at Sola's bravado.

"Honestly, such people should mind their manners in the company of their betters, kid.

"Who're callin' kid, you cold crow?!" The woman's face twitched, and the two men she was with both took a step back.

"Miss Buchineko," Henshoku made herself known as she emerged from the kitchen door in an attempt to stop the two from going at it. Buchineko turned away from Sola with a sly grin on her face.

"Ah, the _thing_ I wanted to see." Her, and the men walked over to Henshoku; who felt a menacing aura begin to overshadow her. "To think you would allow our inn to be sullied by such ruffians," she scoffed, "But, then again, that's what I get for letting a filthy bird run the place." Buchineko eyed Henshoku up, and down taking in the sight of the exhausted Faunus.

"This place isn't **yours** , Miss Buchineko," Henshoku responded in a harsh tone.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, my little bird brained friend." She patted Henshoku on the head; ruffling her feathers. "After all, this little inn is in a prime location away from most everyone, and my organization's interests need to be maintained." Buchineko's words dripped with poison as her eyes never left Henshoku's.

In a low voice Henshoku responded, "I already paid the protection money for the month."

"Ah, well, you see…about that." Buchineko put her hand on Henshoku's shoulder, and gave a tight squeeze. "We never received that payment." Henshoku's gaze stayed forward, but her fists clenched. "These woods are dangerous, after all. And, since we can't confirm if you sent it I'm here to make sure you remember your dues. As I've said," her grip got even tighter, "There woods are dangerous. Who knows what lurks in the darkness. You'd best be careful, little chickadee."

"Hey!" Sola suddenly interjected causing Buchineko to remove her grip from Henshoku. "I ain't done with you, Buko!" The two men froze, and slowly turned towards their boss. Buchineko's face was ice cold, and she slowly straightened her back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that as my ears aren't used to that verbal vomit your brain just spewed out." She slowly reached for her sheathed kunai which were strapped to her belt. "Do you want to try that again?"

"You trying to pick a fight, Buchko?!" Henshoku was frozen with fear as the six people slowly reached for their weapons. But, as tensions were about to explode the door to the inn swung open. Henshoku peered around Buchineko to see a Faunus with two large antlers dressed in huntress garbs walk into the inn.


	77. Bread Crumb Trails

"Welcome to Argus!" the captain of the passenger ship gave a shout as he docked his ship in the harbor, and lowered the passenger ramp. People began filing off one, by one; some into the arms of waiting family members, while others left to go about their other business in the city. The last two passengers to exit the boat was an elderly looking man in a trench coat, and a young woman with an orange overcoat.

"Ah, it's been too long since I was last in Argus," Van Grimmig said with a content smile as he gazed up at the city that climbed the hill. "Such an impressive display of our tenacity as a species that we built an entire city on a slope instead of flattening the land." He turned towards his companion. "What's your opinion on the subject, Amber?"

Amber held a neutral expression as she spoke, and looked at her scroll which displayed a map of the city, "We can reach the hospital the survivor's being held at by taking the cable car up the main street, and walking the remaining four blocks." Van Grimmig playfully rolled his eyes.

"We come to one of the most beautiful cities in Mistral, and all that's on your mind is work?"

"Yes," Amber snapped back, "And, I'd prefer if you could focus on said work instead of gawking at buildings on a hill." She turned towards the road, and started walking. "It's not that impressive."

"There's more to being a huntsman than endless work, dear Amber." Van Grimmig followed along with his arms crossed behind his back. "Gathering life experiences, and the ability to enjoy what it is you protect are key components to a huntsman's continued success." He eyed Amber as he heard her snort under her breath. "A huntsman who loses themselves in the hunt are quick to find themselves the hunted."

"And, I've told you that I won't meet that fate." Van Grimmig gave a defeated sigh. "My goal is clear, and I know who I am."

Van Grimmig softly spoke to himself, "Yet, who is it that you could have been that's been left behind?" Shaking his head, he spoke no more on the subject, and enjoyed the scenery of Argus. The cable car system was a life saver on his old bones; he was well into his sixties. From the cable car the two saw the city bustling with activity. Most everyone had a smile on their face as they went about their business on a rather lovely spring day.

In a low, bitter voice Amber said, "These people have no idea." She watched as some children ran down the sidewalk laughing, and skipping. "No clue as to the monster that came to their shores."

"Of course not," Van Grimmig responded in a light tone of voice, "They've learned from Vale the importance of what happens when you don't have some control over the flow of information. They're trying to not start a kingdom wide panic." Van Grimmig hated it, but he was starting to agree with what Ozpin had said back when he had taken Mimi's corpse from his lab. "Ignorance is bliss, eh?" he mused to himself as the cable car made its way up the street. The two stayed silent until they reached their destination.

Being a major trade hub with the kingdom of Atlas, Argus had access to the latest technology that was being produced, as well as some of the best minds in multiple fields of study; medicine included. While not as tall as the surrounding buildings, the Argus Safeguard Hospital took up two city blocks, and had a tunnel cut through the building where the street could go through to still allow traffic to flow. Since they were expected, Van Grimmig, and Amber had no trouble getting through the door, and were met by an Argus police officer. When they reached the room they found a man sitting up in his bed staring vacantly out the window. He didn't seem to notice when Van Grimmig, and Amber entered.

"Mr. Coaling?" Van Grimmig said trying to get the man's attention. Coaling didn't turn. Amber gave a light shrug when Van Grimmig looked back at her before trying again. "Mr. Coaling, I am Jager Van Grimmig, and this is my apprentice, Amber Solst. We're here to-"

"I know why you're here." Coaling's voice was gruff, and he still didn't turn from looking out the window. Van Grimmig, and Amber looked at each other in mild confusion. "You're here to make sure I get my story straight." Van Grimmig cocked an eyebrow.

"No, I-"

"Our ship was attacked by a sea feilong," Coaling sounded defeated as he continued. "Everyone died trying to defend the ship, and I only survived because I was a coward, and hid with the food reserves." He spoke the lines in a monotonous tone as if he had been practicing. Van Grimmig rolled his eyes at the thought because he probably was practicing under orders of the Argus police.

"Officially, yes." Van Grimmig nodded curtly. "That is what happened. But, my partner, and I aren't here for 'official' business." This got Coaling to turn towards them, and he looked them both up, and down.

Coaling narrowed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"Huntsman." Van Grimmig spoke, and his gentle smile never left his face. "And, we'd like to know more about what 'unofficially' happened to the Salty Seahorse." Silence loomed in the air as Coaling took in Van Grimmig's words.

"You're after it?" he finally spoke in a low voice, "You? An old man, and some woman in her thirties?" Van Grimmig could feel Amber scowling at that comment. "You think you have a chance against that monster?"

This time Amber spoke up as she was getting annoyed with Coaling, "We wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Yeah?" he responded, and looked her dead in the eyes, "And, who's to say you aren't that thing come back to finish the job, huh?" This caused both Amber, and Van Grimmig to raise an eyebrow.

"Do I look like a Grimm?" Coaling was quiet for a few moments before he spoke.

"You don't even know…Do you?"

Van Grimmig leaned forward, "Know what?"

"That thing? It didn't look like a Grimm either." Coaling started nodding his head, and his gaze left Amber, and fell to the blanket that covered his legs. Amber took an apprehensive step forward, and Van Grimmig let nothing show on his face, but his mind began to race. "Cap'n came back to the ship one day with this Faunus girl in tow."

"A Faunus?" Van Grimmig asked inquisitively.

"Yeah. She looked completely normal; brown skin, black hair, two antlers sticking outta her head, wearing some kinda makeshift armor like many huntsman I've seen do. At first I didn't think much of her, just another Faunus trying to run away from something like most'a them. But…there was something strange about her."

"Strange how?"

"Never talked." He shook his head. "Always would write in this journal she kept with her." Van Grimmig rubbed his chin, and remembered his experience with the mimic, and how it had used a journal to communicate with him. But, he never once recalled it being able to shift its appearance to pass for a normal person. This was getting into dangerous territory. "It was a little strange, but the stranger thing was that I never saw her eat." Coaling ran a hand through his hair. "She'd never join us for meals, and I would check to food supplies to find that nothing was missing. We'd been out there for almost a week, and nothing was missing other than what we took for ourselves." Van Grimmig let the silence hang for a few moments as Coaling had stopped talking, and appeared to be lost in thought.

"When did it happen?"

Coaling licked his lips apprehensively, "It was a week into the journey. I think the hunger finally got to it, and it just started attacking us out-"

"Coaling." Van Grimmig's voice, while still holding an air of kindness, was firm, and caused Coaling to stop talking. Coaling also noticed Amber was staring daggers into him. "We have access to, and have read the reports." Van Grimmig loomed over the man. " **All** of the reports." Coaling fell silent, and refused to meet either of their gazes. "You thought she would be an easy score, right? A Faunus girl who was traveling alone, and couldn't even talk?" His words hung unanswered as Coaling remained silent. "Waited until you were out far enough to sea that she would let her defenses down?" Van Grimmig's words weighed down on Coaling, and they were crushing him. "You, and the rest of your crew would have probably made it to Argus if you hadn't tried anything. You'd be at some bar getting drunk off your asses right now, or maybe you'd be off on another voyage looking for another score. You know that, right?" The atmosphere of the room made Coaling feel like throwing up, but he didn't dare move. "Why did she leave you alive?"

In a timid voice Coaling said, "I…I don't know…"

"Because you were the food, Coaling." Coaling's gaze remained fixed on the blanket at his feet, but his entire body tensed up. "Grimm sustain themselves off of death, and despair. The only reason she let you live was because she needed a meal to not starve on the voyage until the ocean currents beached you on Anima's shores. In a way it's rather ironic." Van Grimmig stepped away from Coaling, and started to leave. "You only picked her up because you thought she'd be an easy snack, but then found yourself the one being eaten." Amber followed Van Grimmig out of the room leaving Coaling alone with his thoughts.

"That gave us nothing." Amber spoke when they had exited the hospital, and were walking through Argus' streets.

"There were only rumors of the mimic being the cause of the Salty Seahorse's demise, Amber. Now we have confirmed evidence, and the knowledge that the mimic has gained a new ability." Amber bit her lip in frustration.

"Yet, we're no closer to finding it."

"True, but we are huntsman, Amber." Van Grimmig crossed his arms behind his back, and began walking towards Argus' gates. "So, it's time for a hunt."


	78. Bar Room Blitz

For the past month Mimi had been traveling across the kingdom of Mistral in search of any clues that would lead her to Frost. While she could now walk the roads freely thanks to her new ability there was still one problem: Mistral is a big place to travel on foot. She couldn't skip places either as she needed to leave no stone unturned just in case that one place held the information she needed. _Of all the places to go why couldn't you become a teacher, or some other big named person like Shiro so I can find you easier?_ Mimi gave a disgruntled sigh, and ran her fingers through her hair. She decided that she would stop in at the next inn she came across, and rethink her strategy; even though she wasn't sure what other strategy there was. Either way, she eventually came upon a rather quaint looking inn that was in a small clearing of the otherwise dense forest; the Drunken Dragon. The lights were on which meant there were people there, but it seemed rather odd for an inn location since the forest was infested with Grimm. A pack of beowolves was stalking its way closer to the inn.

" _No."_ Mimi outstretched her thoughts to the Grimm who immediately halted, and turned towards her. A few tilted their heads at this strange Faunus who could talk to them, while other stared blankly at her, but none of them took another step forward. Satisfied that her place of rest wouldn't be disturbed, Mimi walked to the front of the inn, and through the front door just in time to see six people with their hands on their weapons looking like they were about to kill each other. _…Of course I couldn't get that lucky._ On one side, Mimi saw that three of the would-be combatants looked like average hunters that would scour the forest for game; the table they stood by had alcohol on it. On the other side, the other three combatants wore matching outfits, and looked like they belonged to the Dēmonburēdo gang. Along her travels Mimi had learned of the gang's existence from some locals; they were the new kids on the block looking to make a name for themselves, and had some good strokes of luck in taking territories which was inflating their egos. _Well, the place is remote enough to do crime, so I guess this place belongs to them._ Everyone was staring at Mimi.

The older woman spoke under her breath in a rather bored tone, "Great, another dirty animal." She straightened her back, but kept her hands near her kunai, and addressed Mimi. "Sorry to say, Deer, but this establishment doesn't take your kind here." She waived her hand dismissively. "Scram." Mimi raised an eyebrow at that, and turned her head to look at the bird Faunus who was behind the woman. "Don't mind that," she said with a condescending tone, "Just an old nester that the new management wants cleaned out." She unsheathed one of her kunai. "Now, I'm not going to ask you again, Faunus."

"HEY!" The drunk man was tired of being ignored. "This place 'aint yours, Bukubo!" He pointed to the bird Faunus. "Hek…Hens…Hesho-"

"Henshoku," the bird Faunus meekly said from behind the woman.

"Heshuku owns this place! It was her parents *hic* before, and now it's hers!" The other two men started egging their friend on, and Mimi saw Henshoku's eyes go a little wide with surprise at the man's words. Hope started wafting off Henshoku as she saw someone stand up for her. The hope tasted rather sweet.

 _Not bad._ Mimi thought to herself. While she didn't know the full situation, Mimi could assume that the bird Faunus, Henshoku's, parents were dead, and that the Dēmonburēdo were trying to bully the inn out of her. A faint twinge of nostalgia pulled at Mimi's heart as she saw the small girl who'd lost her family struggle to move forward with the aid of friends. Whether or not the drunks actually were friends with Henshoku was another thing, but it was close enough to bring a smile to Mimi's face. _I guess I can help out for showing me a nice scene._ Mimi took a step forward towards the woman; who rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Why do you animals always insist on being difficult?" With one swift motion, the woman took out a kunai, and threw it towards Mimi's head. Henshoku stepped back, and gave a scared shout, and the drunk men charged the Dēmonburēdo goons. For a brief second, Mimi's eyes flashed red, and she pulled a bone kunai from one of her belt pouches, and matched the other woman's throw. The kunai clashed in the air, and bounced off each other. The woman was completely stunned, and soon found the leading drunk man's fist slamming into her face as she was caught unaware. She fell back onto the floor, and her two goons were occupied with the other two drunks.

"Where are you looking, Bubuko?!"

"It's Buchineko, you damned brute!" Buchineko got to her feet, and drew two more kunai, but this time held ready for melee strikes. The drunk charged, again, swinging his arms in wild punches. Buchineko kept her cool, and took a few back steps while deflecting the drunk's fists with her kunai. A scowl appeared on her face as she was getting tired of not getting what she wanted, and delivered a swift kick to the man's stomach causing him to stop his assault. Taking the initiative, Buchineko sent a flurry of kunai strikes into the drunk whose aura was working overtime to keep up. The man tried to break through Buchineko's attacks, but that left him open, and he soon found himself tripped with his back on the floor. Buchineko brought her hand high with the kunai pointed downward aimed at his heart.

"You worthless-!" As she tried to bring her arm down, Buchineko found that Mimi was holding her arm. "Why you!" Try as she might, nothing she did could free her hand from Mimi's grip. Switching strategies, Buchineko, with her free hand, spun into Mimi with her kunai trained to Mimi's head. However, that arm, too, was caught, and immobilized in Mimi's grip. Henshoku watched in shock as she'd never seen Buchineko ever be at a disadvantage in a close quarters fight. Yet, this huntress was nonchalantly holding her arms with a rather bemused expression on her face, and she was a Faunus to boot. "Get your filthy hands off m-!" She couldn't finish as Mimi yanked Buchineko's arms down causing her to get closer to Mimi who had reared her head back, and slammed her forehead into Buchineko's. To Henshoku's amazement, the headbutt sent a shockwave across Buchineko's aura, and it looked like it was about to go out! Buchineko stumbled as her world spun, but wasn't given time to recover as Mimi took a step towards the door, and threw the woman across the room, and through the front door.

"Boss!" The two goons quickly disengaged the drunks, and ran out of the inn after their boss.

"Hey!" The drunk man had gotten back to his feet, but was struggling to stay on them. "Don't you go runnin' fr-…from me!" He took a step forward, but the alcohol combined with the beating he had just taken sent him to his knees; his body wasn't in any state for combat. Mimi put a hand on his shoulder to stay him, and walked to the front door. Henshoku also followed behind Mimi never taking her eyes off the antlered Faunus. Buchineko was picking herself up out of the dirt with her two goons next to her who were not quite brave enough to dare touch their boss when she'd just been literally tossed out.

"You…FILTHY animal!" Buchineko spat the words at Mimi who was standing over her. "You have no idea who you've just fucked with!"

 _Bold words for someone about to run with their tail between their legs._ Mimi bemused to herself, and cocked an eyebrow at Buchineko.

"Boss," one of the goons tried to get Buchineko's attention.

"What?!"

"We have to go. Now!" he said in a more hushed voice as he was glancing nervously at the tree line. When Buchineko looked over she saw the piercing red eyes of Grimm silently watching them. She spat on the ground, and a wicked grin appeared on her face as she looked at Henshoku.

"Looks like the nest is about to get rustled." She got up, and the three headed for their car which was parked a few feet away. "We all get what we deserve, little chickadee." Mimi thought about going after them, but decided against it as she noticed some of the Grimm start tailing the car. She'd leave them to their own fate.

" _Leave._ " She projected her thoughts to the surrounding Grimm. Some hesitantly backed away, but others didn't budge, and Mimi swore she heard a low growl from a beowolf. She could feel Henshoku start to cower in the doorway as the piercing eyes loomed over the young bird Faunus. " _ **Leave!**_ " This time Mimi's tone left no room for negotiations, she drew more kunai from her belt pouch, and her eyes softly began to glow red as she met the stares of the surrounding Grimm. This seemed to work, as they had come for a meal rather than a fight with some mystery creature that could speak to them, and the eyes slowly withdrew into the forest. Mimi gave a sigh. _And, here I was hoping to lay a bit lower in my search._ She knew she'd have to give up that ideal eventually as she'd witnessed Faunus discrimination against her first hand over the past month of being here. _Then again, it's at times like this where opportunities start to present themselves._ Mimi turned around towards Henshoku who had taken a few steps out of the door now that the Grimm were gone, and she was staring at Mimi with wide eyes filled with amazement. _Let's see where this goes._


	79. On the House

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Huntress!" Henshoku said while giving a deep bow to Mimi who had gone inside, and taken a seat at the bar. With just a quick glance over the Faunus girl Mimi could tell she was under a tremendous amount of stress, and that wasn't even considering the dread that was wafting off her in waves. "This place means a lot to me, and so I can't express enough my gratitude for standing up to the Dēmonburēdo." Her hands fidgeted with a glass she was 'cleaning' as she talked, but Mimi saw that she was just cleaning the same spot the entire time.

 _She's probably got a million things running through her mind right now._ Mimi thought to herself. _Then again, I did just possibly piss off a gang over her inn, so that's probably weighing heavily on her._ Looking around Mimi saw that the inn was rather cozy: a few wooden tables, and chairs dotted the floor around the bar, the lights were aged giving off a soft orange light that accented the warm fire that was going in the fireplace just across the room. The guest rooms were along the back wall with a stairwell that led up to a second floor of additional rooms. It was quaint, cozy, and not too expensive.

"I…know it's not much, and probably not what a huntsman would normally deal in, but…" Henshoku tried a few times to meet Mimi's gaze, but her eyes kept darting down back to the glass as if they feared the repercussions of what was about to be said. "Money's…tight…so…I can offer you free board for a few nights instead…If that's acceptable?"

 _Ah, right, I look like a huntsman._ Mimi sometimes forgets that huntsman are basically just mercenaries, and mercenaries never do anything without a paycheck. Since the Drunken Dragon was a traveler's inn located in the middle of a forest it didn't see too much activity, combined with the loss of her parents meant Henshoku was giving everything she had to just keep the place a float. And, aside from the drunken trio who had re-taken their seats once they were sure the Dēmonburēdo goons were gone, Mimi couldn't sense anyone else in the inn. Business was slow, and the Dēmonburēdo were looking to capitalize. _This certainly is quite the mess I've stumbled into._ Mimi waived her hand dismissively.

" _A free room for a few nights sounds fine. I was happy to help._ "

"Ah…okay…" Henshoku seemed a little off as she read Mimi's note.

" _I lost the ability to speak a while back, if that's not too much of a bother?_ "

"No! Not at all, Mrs! My apologies if I insulted-" Henshoku lost her grip on the glass, and it fell into the sink with a crash as a large piece broke off. "-…you." Her tone was completely defeated, and Mimi could taste the ever mounting sadness that was coming off the Faunus.

" _You should sit down, and take a break._ " Mimi tapped her journal page, and gave Henshoku a look of concern.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. The weekend's coming up which is when things get busy, and I still need to finish preparing." Henshoku picked up the broken glass, hopped off the box, and tossed it in a basket. Judging by the sound it made Mimi was certain the basket was filled with other broken glasses that Henshoku had dropped. The Faunus took in a deep, shaky breath before she turned back to Mimi. "I'm going to go check on the food stores. So, Mrs…?"

" _Mimi Valus._ "

The Faunus pointed to herself, "Henshoku Jekyll. Was there anything else you needed before I head back to storage, Mrs. Valus?"

" _Yes there is._ " Mimi pulled out a paper map, and sprawled it out on the counter. Henshoku hopped back up onto her box, and peered over the map. " _I was wondering if you'd heard any rumors, or mentions of a man named Frost, and where he might be?_ "

"Well…that depends." Mimi cocked her head to the side. "Which Frost are you talking about?" Mimi blinked a few times trying to parse what Henshoku had said. Then, she let her head hit the table.

 _Oh for the love of…of_ _ **course**_ _there's more than one person named 'Frost'._

"After the Great War, color, and color themed names started getting really popular, and 'Frost' was a common boy's name, so I know a few Frosts," Henshoku stated, and gave a shrug. "So, you'll need to be specific." Mimi scratched her head as she thought back to the day of the attack, and the only time she'd ever seen Frost.

" _He's roughly six feet tall, platinum white hair, strong build, fought in the Great War…_ " Mimi did some math in her head. " _Probably in his mid-seventies._ " Mimi watched as Henshoku's face became more, and more skeptic as she read over the description.

"Ahuh. While I don't know any Frosts that match that description are you sure you should even be looking?" Mimi blinked in confusion, and Henshoku gave a soft sigh. "You say he should be in his seventies, but do you know how many people actually make it to that age?" She looked back down at the page. "And, you said he's a veteran of the Great War, so he might have health problems from wounds." She saw the vacant stare Mimi was giving her. "How do you know if he's even still alive?"

" _He is._ "

"But, how do you know for certain?

" _He is._ " Mimi tapped the page, again, causing Henshoku to shake her head.

"Look, I'm not going to try, and stop you or anything on your manhunt to punch this guy-." Mimi's eyes went wide as she'd never once mentioned her hostile intentions towards Frost, only that she wanted to find him. Henshoku pointed to the journal, "When you were writing about him I saw a flash of anger in your eyes," Henshoku said in a neutral voice, "I don't know what an old war vet did to you, or why you can't find him, but your best bet would be to check in at the library in Kiku-ka. Have you tried there, yet?" Mimi shook her head, and looked down to the map. "Well, if you haven't tried there then that means you came in from Kotokunibito. Kiku-ka is just down the road if you keep heading south." She pointed on the map for the road Mimi should follow. "It's about a day's travel on horseback from here, or two days on foot if you walk fast, and can keep the pace. They have a good library there, and are one of the only towns for miles that have computer access." Mimi started nodding as she went over it in her head. She'd go to Kiku-ka, get access to the computer, hopefully navigate her way through it as computers were still a mystery to her, and find the right Frost.

 _Alright, an actual plan that doesn't involve me walking every square foot of Mistral!_

"Bah, don't listen to our little birdie!" Sola, the leader of the three drunketeers, came over, and wrapped an arm around Mimi. "She's just a gloomy one is all."

"I prefer 'realist', Sola." Henshoku hopped off her box, walked out from behind the bar, and headed towards the kitchen.

"Gloomy. I'm sure your boyfriend is right as rain waiting for you." Mimi's entire body tensed up as she used all her strength to not punch Sola in the face at that remark.

"She wants to punch him, not kiss him, Sola," Henshoku said as she continued walking. Sola had none of it, and waived dismissively at the Faunus.

"You're just trying to stop love from bloooooooming." The stench of alcohol was overtly apparent on Sola's breath, and Mimi was internally debating the pros, and cons of punching him.

"Right, right. I'm not trying to dissuade her from doing what she wants. I just wanna make sure you understand." Mimi looked up, and turned towards her. Henshoku had stopped at the door to the kitchen, turned, and looked Mimi in the eyes as she spoke. "You need to be prepared for if, at the end of your search, all you find is a mound of dirt with a headstone."


	80. Business Hours

"Ah~. Nothing like a cold drink after a long days travel." The man got up from his seat at the bar, and threw some lien on the counter. "Keep the change."

Henshoku gave a light bow, and said, "Thank you very much, sir." She watched the man go up the stairs to his room as she scooped up, and counted the lien. People mainly traveled the road between Kiku-ka, and Kotokunibito during the weekend to make it to the other town by the next weekday. So far things were going smoothly with half the rooms currently filled, and a few more patrons chatting it up at their tables. Luckily for Henshoku they didn't come in one wave, and have been slowly trickling in over the day which allowed her to keep up without much trouble. Mimi had left two days earlier so Henshoku guessed the huntress was probably in Kiku-ka by now. The Faunus sighed as she cleaned some glasses. But, her ears perked up as the front doors opened to reveal two new guests. She put on her most cheerful tone of voice, "Welcome to the Drunken Dragon. Take a seat anywhere, and I'll be right with you folks." The new folks were an old man with a rather wide brimmed hat, and long, black trench coat accompanied by a female who was much younger, probably early thirties/late twenties, and wore a similar outfit to the old man, but a faded orange instead of black. _An odd huntsman duo?_

"Much appreciated," the man held a warm smile on his face, and took a seat at the bar. Judging by the satisfied sigh he made when he sat down Henshoku guessed that the years were catching up to the man. He removed his hat, and looked around the inn. "Such a nice respite, these inns. I remember back when I traveled more I would spend most of the year in an inn just like this." He chuckled to himself as he went back to the good ol' days. The woman silently took a seat next to him, and held a neutral expression.

"You've said that at every inn we've stayed at since we arrived, Van Grimmig." The woman took out her scroll, and tried accessing the internet, but found that there was no signal. She rolled her eyes, and gave a disgruntled sigh as she re-pocketed her scroll. "No reception." Henshoku remembered that small talk was an ideal way to engage a guest, and that it might increase their comfort level thus leading them to stay, and spend more.

"Not this far in the woods, I'm afraid," Henshoku said as she walked over to them, and hopped onto the strategically placed box. "If you want service your best bet is to head to Kiku-ka since they're the only ones for miles that have it." The woman seemed rather annoyed at this as she rolled her eyes, propped her arm on the counter, and rested her head in her hand.

"Of course it would come to this backwater place." Henshoku didn't know what the woman was talking about, but her annoyance was evident, so she turned her attention to the man, Van Grimmig.

He waived a hand dismissively towards the woman as he addressed Henshoku, "Oh, don't mind Amber here; we've suffered a small setback in our travels that's eating her."

"Oh, I see." Henshoku gave a soft bow. "My apologies."

"Please," Van Grimmig's smile warmed further, "You've nothing to apologize for; think nothing of it. If anything we should be thanking you as we thought we'd have to camp in the wilderness for the night."

"Well, I've still got some rooms open, so you're more than willing to stay the night as you're passing through." Henshoku felt a genuine smile take her lips as the warmth from Van Grimmig seemed to be contagious. Well, contagious to everyone except Amber who was now looking rather bored as she eyed the drinks along the wall. "If you see anything you want let me know."

"Right…" Amber looked over the drinks before turning to Henshoku. "I'll have a glass of Drake's Breath."

"Alright. And, you?" she said looking over to Van Grimmig who just shook his head.

"Just some water for me, Miss; I stopped drinking a long time ago, and don't need to start back up." Henshoku nodded before she hopped off her box, walked over to the ice box, and proceeded to take out a bottle of Drake's Breath. When she returned, and started pouring Amber her drink Van Grimmig commented, "Awfully young to be handling alcohol, Miss?" Henshoku finished pouring the drink, and slid it over to Amber before she hopped back onto the box, and replied.

"As the sole remaining owner, and employee it's kind of in my duty to serve customers." Although she did a good job of hiding it, Van Grimmig saw her body tense, and hands hesitated at the mention of her being the only one running things.

"My apologies for touching a sore subject," he said as he took the glass of water that was handed to him. It was Henshoku's turn to wave a hand dismissively.

"It's been tough, but I'm getting by." Her smile faltered, and didn't fool Van Grimmig. He put the money for the drinks on the counter, and made sure to add a little extra on top. Henshoku's shoulders visibly relaxed as she saw the gesture.

"Thank you very much, sir." _Now rent a room, and fuck off._ Henshoku made sure nothing was showing on her face as the thought crossed her mind. While her body may be failing, and showing signs of weakness there was one thing she'd learned quickly since the deaths of her parents; how to conceal her hatred towards humans. Humans controlled the most wealth in Mistral, and even though they didn't tip Faunus servers very much they at least tipped more often than Faunus' which was reason enough to be nice. Sola, and his friends were an exception as they had been around since before her parent's deaths, and were actually good friends of the family. As she pocketed the money she spoke to herself loud enough for Van Grimmig, and Amber to hear, "Huntsman truly are kindhearted people."

Van Grimmig chuckled, "Please, we're just doing what we can for the people of Remnant. Speaking of…" He looked around the room at the various patrons before looking back to Henshoku. "I would have thought you to have a permanent huntsman on duty since we're so deep into a known Grimm infested forest. And, while no one here matches that look everyone seems rather at ease."

"Ah. Well, I used to have some local…patrons… be guards, but they recently tried extorting more money out of me." Van Grimmig watched as she started to clean the same spot on a glass over, and over. "But, a lone huntress came through, and managed to help drive them off…I'm still trying to figure out what to do before the Grimm notice." Amber set down her glass, and looked at Henshoku.

"Do your patrons know?" she asked motioning towards the people at the tables.

Henshoku shook her head, "The last thing I need is fear." She gave a deep sigh before continuing. "I plan to head into town tomorrow to try, and find someone who will help…but I don't have much to offer as business has been rather slow, and won't pick up until around summer." Van Grimmig nodded, and nursed his water.

"What about the huntress who helped you?" he asked. "If they seemed willing to help before they might help you again."

Henshoku shook her head, "I doubt it. She seemed dead set on trying to find some guy, so I doubt she'd be into the idea of settling down for a while. Though, I don't think she'll get very far."

"What makes you say that?" Van Grimmig asked taking a sip of water.

"Well, she's heading to Kiku-ka, and they don't take the kindest stance on Faunus'." Suddenly, Amber's glass hit the counter causing Henshoku to jump a little.

"This huntress was a Faunus?" Henshoku easily saw a fury begin to burn in Amber's eyes. "Did she have brown skin, black hair, and antlers?!"

"Y-Yes…UH-" Amber was leaning over the counter, and Henshoku tripped off the box she was standing on. Her head hit the back of the bar which caused a glass to smash onto the ground. The people at the table looked up from their conversation towards the bar.

"Amber." Van Grimmig's tone left no room for negotiation, and Amber got up from the bar, and headed towards the door. He gave an annoyed sigh, but his smile never left his face. He looked down at Henshoku who was in shock from the fall. "My apologies, Miss, but we'll be leaving. Sorry about the glass." He put some additional lien on the counter, and followed after Amber. Slowly, Henshoku got up from the floor while rubbing the back of her now sore head. The people at the tables went back to their conversations, and Henshoku looked towards the now closing doors. Her gut was telling her that she had just done something that endangered her savior, and she hated it.


	81. Hunter's Grudge

_Of all the things I could be in my shifted form why do I have to look like a Faunus?_ Mimi kicked a pebble along the worn dirt road that led out of Kiku-ka back towards the Drunken Dragon. While she was kind of expecting it, Mimi had hoped that the Faunus discrimination wouldn't go as far as to bar her from a library. _It's a PUBLIC library! Of all the places to not let me even through the door it had to be a public library._ She gave a frustrated sigh as she kicked the pebble further up the road. Even though Mimi could have easily forced her way inside that thought seemed in rather poor taste, so she ultimately decided against it, and to just leave the old hag to her dusty books, and magic computer boxes. _Looks like you're rubbing off on me in more ways than one, Jade._ Mimi wasn't too upset over the setback; there were more towns that had computers. She kicked the pebble. _Maybe I could double back to Argus? I'm sure there are places that would allow a Faunus to use a computer there. Right?_ Honestly, the Faunus discrimination was becoming a real pain for Mimi. _Why can't more places be like Vacuo?_ There was a rustling of a nearby bush. Mimi stopped, and let out another sigh. _Just with less Grimm, please?_

" _Leave._ " Mimi's thought went out, but the rustling continued. Already having a frustrating day, Mimi stopped walking, and turned towards the rustling bush. " _I said-_ " Before she could finish her thought a bullet shot out of the bush. Since she was in her Faunus form Mimi's abilities were limited, and she wasn't able to dodge it. The dust tipped round ripped through the flesh of her stomach, and exited her body into the tree line behind her. Not wasting any more time, Mimi's body erupted into a cloud of black smoke, and she leapt back now fully in her Grimm form. Another gunshot rang out, but there was no bullet. Instead, a boot came rocketing at Mimi through the smoke cloud. She brought up both arms to block the impact while bracing her legs. Now that they were close Mimi could see that the boots were also the guns: custom revolvers were attached to the boot at the ankle pointed downwards allowing for bursts of speed in the legs. The unknown assailant, using the boot that was now on Mimi's arms, kicked off her while firing another shot. The dust rounds cracked the bone armored gauntlets, but didn't manage to penetrate. Her attacker landed a few feet away. It was a huntress that looked in her early thirties, and she was dressed in some rugged looking garbs with a faded orange trench coat. It reminded her of a certain silver eyes huntsman.

"Found you," the woman spat the words that were coated in venom at Mimi. Mimi just tilted her head to the side.

 _Do I…know you?_ She knew the huntress couldn't hear her, but Mimi was racking her brain to remember if she'd ever crossed such a huntress before. Seeing Mimi tilt her head, the huntress' fists tightened with anger.

"You don't even remember me, do you?" The huntress' aura flared up, and her boots shot off two more rounds allowing her to lunge with great speed at Mimi. "You fucking monster!" Mimi quickly activated her own semblance on the woman, and prepared herself for the kick she knew was coming with the lunge. But, as Mimi brought up her arms to deflect the kick the woman's semblance activated, and while in mid-air circled around Mimi to deliver the kick to the now unguarded side.

 _Are you_ _ **shitting me?!**_ Another shot from the boot gave even greater force to the kick, and Mimi was sent flying into the forest. _I hate fighting semblances!_ After hitting a few trees, and bouncing off a rock Mimi came to a rest in the dense forest. Her mimicry only allowed her to see the muscle movements of the fighting style, but gave no information about the user's semblance, or how it was used to fight. Mimi quickly scrambled to her feet as she sensed the hatred that was radiating off the huntress fast approaching. Sure enough, the huntress was speeding through the forest using her revolver boots to make great leaps to close the distance quickly. _Alright, how some of your own medicine?_ Black mist swirled around her legs, and demonic revolvers wrapped themselves around Mimi's ankles. Bringing up one leg, Mimi kicked the air with each kick firing off a round at the approaching huntress. However, there was something inside Mimi that was telling her not to hit the huntress, and causing Mimi to hesitate on her shots which allowed the huntress time to dodge behind a large tree. Mimi blinked a few times in confusion. _Why am I hesitating? She attacked me first!_ A low, frustrated growl escaped Mimi's lips as she contemplated on what to do. However, standing still would do no good, so Mimi turned, and sprinted deeper into the forest.

"Running away?!" The huntress dove out from behind the tree she was using as cover, and gave chase. "Get back here, you damned Grimm!" Even with the huntress using her revolver boots to increase her speed, Mimi was still able to keep her distance as the two raced through the forest. As they wove their way through the trees a few beowolves picked up in the chase as they were attracted to the hate that the huntress had wafting off her.

 _What did I do?_ Mimi looked back, and saw the huntress skillfully dispatched the beowolves without breaking her stride as she cleanly shot them through their skulls. _I don't remember pissing off any thirty year olds! And, what's with you, Jade?!_ Mimi directed her thoughts inwards towards the soul that resided within her. _What's the big idea of not letting me shoot her? She attacked_ _ **me**_ _first._ The pulling at her heart was the only reply she got. Why did her heart ache, and not want to shoot the huntress?

"Get back here, mimic!" Her constant yelling wasn't helping Mimi think. Leaping into the air, Mimi shot both her revolver boots at the huntress, before somersaulting over, and skidding to a stop in a crouched position. The huntress used her semblance to dodge mid-air, and landed about thirty feet away from Mimi. Her eyes stared icy daggers into Mimi. "I've waited so long for this day." The huntress, and Mimi slowly started circling each other as they sized the other up. "The years I've spent training just to get a chance to kill you."

 _Years?_ How long ago had she pissed off this huntress? It couldn't have been recent as she had only been in Mistral for around a month. Before she was captured by Ozpin perhaps? Mimi looked over the huntress as they continued to slowly circle each other. Her outfit reminded her a bit of Van Grimmig's, but his was black whereas hers is orange. But, Jade didn't know Van Grimmig as far as Mimi was aware, so it couldn't be him that's causing Jade's hesitation. Who would Jade know that would… _Oh…_ The orange color scheme. The piercing blue eyes. The revolver boots. Jade's heistation. Mimi realized who this huntress was. _Amber._ Mimi let out a long sigh as she comprehended what was happening. _You spent years training just to kill me?_ She couldn't call what Amber was doing absurd because that would be like saying that about her own journey after Frost. In a way, Amber had more reason to hate Mimi than Mimi had to hate Frost.

"Did you figure it out?" Amber saw the look of recognition on Mimi's face when she realized her identity. "That was twelve years ago. Twelve years of you not answering for what you did!" Amber grit her teeth, and some tears started to well up in her eyes, but she fought them off. "You murdered them. Shiro. The people in those villages." Her voice started to shake. They both stopped circling, and stood their ground facing each other. "Jade." Mimi felt her heart sink as Jade's soul cried out to her friend. "You stole her from me. And, now…" Amber's aura started to flair, and her semblance radiated to life. "Now she can finally have revenge!"


	82. Rumble in the Jungle

Amber's revolver boots roared to life as they both fired off causing her to leap forward. Her eyes filled with an icy hatred as she glared down Mimi. Mimi's own revolver boots shot off as she leapt backwards. She wasn't sure how Amber's semblance worked exactly so she decided hanging on the defense for a while would be the most ideal way of fighting. _If you could even call this a fight!_ Jade's soul continued to weep as Mimi did her best to block, or deflect the flurry of kicks that were all being sent at her as she, and Amber flew high into the forest canopy, and leapt from branch to branch. A few beowolves raced across the forest floor after the flying duo attracted to the extreme negative emotions Amber was giving off. One thing Mimi didn't mind about fighting Amber was how easy she was to keep track of as the negative emotions she was giving off was acting like a beacon in the otherwise calm forest. The downside of fighting her being that those twelve years of training were showing. Amber didn't waste a single movement as she chased after, and fought Mimi. Her kicks were precise as she nailed Mimi whenever she got close enough. Her balance was impeccable as Mimi noticed she never once faltered when landing, and leaping off the branches. When her boots had only one bullet left she would effortlessly spin in the air, reload, and continue the chase without missing a beat. The fact that Mimi saw Amber's semblance air correcting her onto the right path wasn't helping either. _It's like she's specifically designed to fight me!_ Mimi dodged three bullets that flew past her. _The irony is killing me._ However, there was one trick that Mimi knew would work even on Amber. Knowing that Amber would only use her kicks when close Mimi deliberately leapt off the next branch in a larger arc that would slow her down. Amber saw her chance, and flew straight at Mimi firing off one of her boots to deliver a devastating kick. But, when her foot connected with the side of Mimi's stomach Mimi wrapped both her arms around Amber's leg catching the huntress completely off guard. This knocked both of them off course which caused them to slam into a tree, but Mimi was able to 'land' on the tree with her feet, pivot around, and throw Amber across a small clearing.

"Shit!" Using her semblance, Amber reoriented herself so she was right side up flying through the air, and managed to slow herself down so that she didn't slam into the tree as hard. In a slight daze, Amber shook her head to clear the dizziness. "Why you-" She cut herself off as she heard Mimi's revolver boots fire off from the other side of the clearing. Acting on instinct, Amber ducked down, and used her semblance to pull herself to the other side of the tree. As she dove back Amber could feel Mimi's kick just miss her head by inches. Mimi's kick slammed into the tree, and the sound of screaming, splintering wood filled the forest as the force of the kick snapped the tree's trunk in half. The now broken trunk flew a few feet before hitting the ground followed by the rest of the tree slamming down into the forest floor sending dirt, and leaves everywhere.

 _Damn it, Jade!_ Mimi could have possibly ended it there, but Jade's influence caused Mimi to hesitate for a brief second which Amber used to evade. Though, looking at the state of the tree Mimi had to agree that she may have used too much force with that kick. Rustling leaves brought Mimi back to reality just as Amber burst through the falling leaves, and dirt cloud in a spin kick. With a burst of speed Mimi matched the kick, and forced Amber back only for her semblance to flare up, and bring her back in for another round. No matter how many times Mimi forced Amber back the huntress would use her semblance to stay on top of her. However, Mimi noticed that Amber wasn't shooting as frequently, and seemed to be using her boots only to stay in. _She's running low on ammo!_ Mimi did her best to keep pace, but with the only source of negative emotions coming from Amber sustaining her defense was taxing. There were also the beowolves that had swarmed around them, and were also eating the precious emotions that were filling the air. Amber was panting, and her aura wasn't as bright as before. _Alright, all I have to do is keep wearing her down._ Mimi deflected another flurry of kicks, and futilely attempted to make some distance. _Just keep going. Just keep-_ As Amber went in for another kick a black blur suddenly enveloped her, and she disappeared from Mimi's view. _What?_

"What the-?!" A beowolf had mustered enough bravery to stalk forward into Mimi, and Amber's brawl unnoticed. It then waited for the right moment to strike, and pounced Amber when she was fully focused on attacking Mimi. Seeing their pack mate go in sent the other beowolves into attack mode, and the seven others swarmed in on Amber. "Get off!" she cried as she shot one of them in the face, but as it died another took its place, and chomped down on her now outstretched leg. Amber's aura flared around the bite. The remaining beowolves all began biting down on her as she tried to shake them off. Beowolves, while not the most intelligent creatures of Grimm were master hunters, and immediately picked up that they should stay away from Amber's legs, so while two grabbed each leg in their mouths the others went to work on breaking her aura. She fruitlessly fired off her revolver boots to try, and shake them off, but the beowolves held strong, and soon the revolvers clicked empty. "GET OFF!" Mimi watched as with every bite Amber's aura weakened. With every bite Mimi could feel Jade's soul cry out form inside her. She was so focused on killing Mimi that she ignored everything else around her. A sense of irony crept its way into Mimi as that thought crossed her mind. She turned around, and started to leave now that Amber was taken care of; contempt to leave her to her fate. "STOP! GET OFF M-GAAAH!" The seven beowolves had managed to bring down Amber's aura, and one bit down hard on her left arm. Blood was in the air, and the beowolves howled with delight.

 _ **I should leave her.**_ Mimi thought as she continued walking. _**She chose her…**_ _fate…_ Mimi stopped. Chose. Did Amber choose her fate? She remembered that Van Grimmig had once said something similar in regards to Jade, and about making the right choice. Did any of them truly have a choice? Amber wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Mimi. And, Jade… Was this the fate chosen for the huntsmen? _**No.**_ Mimi pivoted on her heels, and felt Jade's soul begin burning with her. Black smoke erupted from Mimi's hand, and with a burst of speed she dove towards the beowolves. The beowolves all turned towards the fast approaching strange Grimm just in time to see the black smoke solidify into a glaive before Kinderträumen decapitated them. Mimi watched as their bodies slumped down to the ground, and slowly dissolve into a black mist. Turning her attention towards Amber she saw that the beowolves had not been gentle, and the huntress was knocked out from a head injury, and probably the shock of getting almost eaten alive. _Hmm._ She outstretched her thoughts to the area around her, but couldn't feel any more Grimm. _I should at least take her to the road so someone can come by, and pick her up._ Allowing Kinderträumen to dissipate into mist, Mimi picked up Amber slinging her over her shoulder, and started walking through the forest in the direction of the road; she saw it, and made sure to keep track of where she was while racing through the canopy. Mimi felt…good; despite the fact that they both tried to kill each other. She had gone so long without a soul that she'd forgotten what it felt like to feel good about something. The feeling was…strange, but in a good way. Jade's soul warmly glowed within her. _Yeah, yeah, yeah. I can tell you're grinning at me._ She chuckled to herself as she felt Jade's soul continue to brighten as they continued back to the road.


	83. Tarnished Silver

Mimi stepped through some bushes, and out onto the road with Amber sill unconscious over her shoulder. There was only idle emotions in the air from the various travelers that frequented the road, but otherwise she couldn't sense anyone nearby; person, or Grimm. _Now then, where to leave…her._ Mimi scanned the area looking for a place to drop off Amber when her eyes led her up the road to a car that was parked on the shoulder, and the man standing next to it. Tension mounted as the two stared each other down. _Alright then…_ Slowly, Mimi walked towards the car while never taking her eyes off the man. The passenger side door was open, so Mimi gently set Amber down in the seat. She still hadn't woken up, but her breathing was stable which was a good sign. After closing the door, Mimi walked to the front of the car seeing the man look inside at Amber.

"You did quite a number on her." Van Grimmig bemused out loud. Mimi just narrowed her eyes at the huntsman. "But, she honestly needed a good knock to the head. Maybe now she'll think before rushing ahead." He grunted as he stopped leaning against the car, and straightened his back with a pop. "Ah, these old bones can't keep up with the kids as much anymore." He turned his focus to Mimi, and the gentle smile never left his lips. "Why's she still alive?"

" _Because I made a promise to her teammate._ " Mimi held up the journal for him to read.

"Mrs. Everglen?" Mimi nodded. "I see." He sighed, and let out a chuckle. "You never cease to amaze me with how much you break typical Grimm behavior, mimic."

" _And, you know I'm not a typical Grimm._ "

"True, but as a scholar I like to compare things when I study a specimen, and the closest things we have to you would be other creatures of Grimm." He lightheartedly shrugged. "Not the most ideal of variables, but it's what we have." Mimi focused all her attention on Van Grimmig, but she couldn't see even a hint of an aura. "Still though, you're sparing a huntress that tried to kill you, and helping orphans; how could I not be amazed?" Mimi raised an eyebrow at that. "The bird Faunus that runs an inn up the road; you helped her with some troubles didn't you?"

" _What of it?_ "

"Goodness." Van Grimmig put his hands on his hips, and shook his head. "You're the most morally sporadic Grimm I've ever met." He chuckled to himself. Mimi wasn't sure what to expect; Van Grimmig was much older now, but he still seemed calm standing before her. "Now then," he said looking back to Mimi, "Let's just skip to the end." Van Grimmig's eyes started to glow with a silver light that Mimi immediately recognized. She dove off the road into the bushes, and scrambled behind a tree. A bright light engulfed the area as Van Grimmig's silver eyes activated that forced Mimi to close her eyes from the brightness. Mimi wasn't fast enough, and there was a burning sensation in her right leg that she wasn't able to get behind the tree in time. There was also an intense heat that tried to burn its way around the tree, but couldn't reach her.

 _ **FUCKING SHIT!**_ Her leg burned, and then went completely numb. When the light faded she opened her eyes to find that all the black ooze around her right leg up to her knee was gone leaving her atrophied leg exposed. Although black tendrils started snaking down to reclaim the leg Mimi knew it would take time as there wasn't an abundance of negative emotions in the air. _**Fuck fuck fuck!**_ _I just need to keep away until I can heal. He's an old man so-._ A twig snap brought Mimi out of her thoughts just in time to dodge Van Grimmig's dust tipped knife as he slashed at her neck. She stumbled as she only had one working leg, activated her semblance, and brought out her own knife to deflect another blow aimed at her head. However, her speed was drastically reduced from the damage she'd sustained in her fight with Amber, and taking part of Van Grimmig's silver eyes. _Shit! Fuck!_ Meanwhile, Van Grimmig seemed perfectly calm, and still had that infuriating smile on his face as his attacks started breaking through the knives she was producing, and landing hits in on her body. _**Back off!**_ Mimi's eyes pulsed as she felt Jade's soul burn within her. Van Grimmig hesitated as in an instant Mimi went from holding a knife to swinging Kinderträumen at his head. He tried to deflect the glaive, but Kinderträumen's thrusters allowed no such tactic, and Van Grimmig was sent flying across the road where he slammed into a tree. He hit the ground with a thump, and groaned loudly. For a second, Mimi swore she saw the hint of an aura around Van Grimmig, but when she tried to step forward to investigate her body collapsed onto the side of the road. _No! No no no no! Get up!_ Kinderträumen dissolved into mist as Mimi's body went into full regeneration mode to try, and heal the wounds she'd taken. Jade fell silent. _Come on! Come on!_ She dug claws into the dirt, and tried to raise herself off the ground, but quickly collapse as a thin, yellow dust crystal ripped its way through her arm forcing her back down. Van Grimmig had risen to one knee, morphed his weapon, and fired his hand crossbow.

"While you certainly have improved since last we met, mimic, the outcome will continue to be the same." He wiped his brow, took another deep breath, and stood up. Mimi dug her claws into the dirt as her frustration mounted, and Van Grimmig slowly approached her.

 _Why…?_ Her eyes softly glowed red with anger as she kept her head low. Her body trembled with rage. _Why can't I sense the_ _ **bastard?!**_

"Bastion of Clarity." Mimi's body stopped trembling, and she looked up at Van Grimmig with a confused look. He was about seven feet away from Mimi, standing in the middle of the road when he stopped advancing. "Your intelligence is far greater than other creatures of Grimm, and judging by your reactions I know you've noticed that you can't track me." His gentle smile never left as he looked down at Mimi, and continued explaining. He arced his back, and Mimi could hear it popping. "You see, I've taken to calling my semblance the Bastion of Clarity as it passively negates my emotions thus making me virtually invisible to a Grimm's special senses." Mimi's eyes widened in horror as he took a dust bolt out of his ammo pouch, and started reloading his crossbow. "There are various unintended effects from this, though, as you can probably tell I always have a sunny disposition about me." He chuckled to himself. "While I certainly have a positive outlook on most things that is simply because I'm an optimist. In reality…" The yellow dust crystal bolt softly shined in his hands as the sun glinted off it through the trees. His smile never wavered. "I haven't felt true happiness since I was a small child before my semblance awakened." He paused for a second as he remembered something, but softly shook his head to clear the memory away. Mimi could see more hints of his aura. If what he was saying was true, then that means that last hit managed to drain his aura quite a bit for it to falter, and show itself. Van Grimmig's age was catching up to him. "My emotions are negated which makes it impossible for Grimm to sense me, and I'm able to think clearly, and rationally in all situations as I am not overwhelmed by emotional highs in stressful situations. Not a bad trade off if I do say so myself." He finished loading the crossbow, and inspected it a few times. "Though I must say, you were able to weaken my aura quite a bit this time, and I think I feel a bit emotional about it." He looked back to Mimi. "Thank you."

 _So, that's your trick?_ Mimi silently fumed to herself as she desperately tried to move her body. _Just cut off a part of your humanity to become the best huntsman out there?_ She knew it wasn't Van Grimmig's fault as she herself knew very little in how semblances formed, and matured. But, what she did know was that a passive semblance like Van Grimmig's was just that; passive. He couldn't deactivate it even if he wanted to. It was the fact that he was a legendary huntsman because his semblance cut off a key part of his humanity that didn't sit well with her, or his mysteriously powerful silver eyes. When he activated them she felt her inner Grimm recoil, and fill with the same hate that she felt whenever she was near, or talked about Ozpin. _A bullshit semblance, and magic powers. Just my fucking luck._

"As for my other ability, my silver eyes." He aimed the crossbow at Mimi. "Just a luck of the draw, I guess?" As he was about to fire, a twig snapped in a nearby bush, and Van Grimmig quickly fired at the base of the bush on reflex. Someone yelped in surprise, and Mimi's eyes widened in surprise as Henshoku tumbled out of the bush holding a hunting rifle.


	84. Run & Hyde

Mimi, and Van Grimmig raised an eyebrow as Henshoku tumbled out of the bush, and into the road. She rubbed the back of her head as she slowly got up to one knee, while her other hand held her hunting rifle. After a couple seconds it seemed like Henshoku realized she was out in the open as Mimi saw new waves of anxiety waft off the Faunus. Van Grimmig slowly lowered his crossbow. "You're…the innkeeper?"

"Oh, uh," Henshoku stumbled with her words as she looked up at Van Grimmig. "Y-Yes, I'm…Henshoku…Jekyll." Her demeanor reminded Mimi of a nervous child being scolded.

 _Then again, she does look to be a child, so…_

"I see," Van Grimmig said in a neutral tone, "Well then, Mrs. Jekyll, may I ask what you are doing here, and why you were skulking in the bushes?" Mimi could have sworn there was a hint of annoyance in his voice, but his semblance was doing an excellent job of masking things. However, his aura still occasionally flickered into visible existence which told Mimi it was still rather weak. She relaxed her body as best she could to not use any more negative emotions than she had to, and started focusing on saving enough energy to materialize Kinderträumen.

 _One more hit should at least knock out the aura…_ Her fists clenched in frustration. _**So I can finally kill the bastard!**_

"Yes, I was going into town today…looking for someone to guard my inn…And, I was on the road when I heard fighting…So…I grabbed my rifle, and…investigated…" Henshoku kept trailing off as her eyes would go from Van Grimmig, and wander over to Mimi lying on the ground. It was quite apparent that she had an idea of what she was looking at, but she also couldn't truly believe it. Van Grimmig just nodded, and kept a calm, friendly air about him.

"While it is certainly a good thing you're going to find help to protect your inn, Mrs. Jekyll, you need not worry about this altercation." He took out a yellow dust crystal bolt from his belt pouch. "We are almost done here, anyway." Henshoku's eyes never left Mimi.

"But…isn't that-?"

"A creature of Grimm." Van Grimmig cut her off, and looked down at Mimi. "The mimic Grimm that has been causing quite a bit of trouble back in Vale, and even here in Mistral." He paused for a moment as he recalled something from earlier. "Ah, right, you said your inn was saved by a Faunus huntress before, correct?"

"Y-…Yes, and she looked-."

"Strikingly similar to this mimic, here. Indeed, that's because it _was_ the mimic that you met." Henshoku's eyes widened, and she turned her gaze to Van Grimmig as she slowly stood to her feet. "This creature of Grimm has gained the ability to shapeshift into the form of a Faunus, it seems. And, it has the intelligence to keep up the act to fool everyone; yourself included."

"Fool?" Henshoku's hands softly shook as she gripped her hunting rifle. More waves of anxiety were coming off her as she listened.

"Indeed." Van Grimmig reloaded his crossbow, and inspected it. "This Grimm has been on a warpath for years hunting down people, and killing them for unjust causes." Van Grimmig bemusedly looked down at Mimi, and Henshoku jumped a bit in surprise as Mimi snarled at Van Grimmig.

 _ **UNJUST?!**_ She slammed her fist into the ground, and glared daggers at Van Grimmig. _**The only unjust thing here is your suffocating self-righteousness!**_

"Am I wrong?"

 _ **Damn fucking straight!**_ She slammed her fist again.

"Your vendetta against old soldiers from the Great War is misplaced, mimic. It's been decades since the war's end. Surely even you must realize the folly in pursuing some deluded form of 'vengeance' against the soldiers who 'wronged' you." As Van Grimmig spoke, Henshoku tried to comprehend what she was seeing, and hearing. This Grimm had shapeshifting powers, and helped her in her time of need?

"But," Henshoku stammered causing both Mimi, and Van Grimmig to look at the Faunus, "She helped me when I needed it the most. Some…vengeance hungry Grimm wouldn't stop to help some poor Faunus in the middle of nowhere, right?" She looked to Van Grimmig, and then to Mimi desperate to find answers.

"The mimic only helped you because it needed you, Mrs. Jekyll," Van Grimmig flatly stated. "It does not know where its quarrel lies, so it must use trickery, and subterfuge to find them, as I'm sure you know she probably asked you about finding someone, yes?"

"Y-Yes…But, she could have ignored my inn, and just moved into town to find answers." She looked back to Mimi. "Why did you go out of your way to help me?" Mimi let out a sigh as she looked into Henshoku's eyes.

 _You'd probably think less of me if I said just on a whim…_ Mimi knew her thoughts wouldn't reach Henshoku, and it was times like this that she wished she still had a voice.

"Just means to an end, Mrs. Jekyll." Van Grimmig answered for Mimi, which caused Mimi to glare at him.

 _You don't_ _ **speak**_ _for me, asshole._ Van Grimmig ignored the glaring, and let his arms hang at his sides.

"Now then, please move along, Mrs. Jekyll, this doesn't concern you."

"Bu-." Henshoku froze as Van Grimmig sent a spin chilling glance at her.

In a low, threatening voice Van Grimmig spoke, "You need to leave."

* * *

"You need to leave! Disperse now, or we will force you!" There was a line of police in the street blocking the path of a large group of Faunus who were marching towards the government building of the rather large port town of Helmsword. The Faunus were chanting about equality, while many of the human spectators were hurling insults at them.

"Just get outta here!"

"Scram, ya filthy animals!"

"Quit clogging the road!" Swept up in the crowd was a family of three Faunus; a father, mother, and their daughter. The crowd refused to disperse. Suddenly, a rock was hurled into the crowd that struck a Faunus man in the head. In retaliation, the Faunus man threw the rock back, but it missed, and smashed through a shop's window.

"You fucking animal!" Hell broke loose as an all-out brawl consumed the street.

"This way!" The mother held her daughter's hand tightly as the family tried to push their way out of the crowd; they firmly believed in none violent protests, and wanted nothing to do with the brawl. "Come on, Henshoku, keep close to mommy!" The father pushed people aside to make room for the family, but soon found a bat slamming into his face, and he was sent to the ground.

"Dad!" Henshoku cried out, but her mother quickly grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You need to run, Henshoku." Tears streamed down her mother's face. "Run!" A figure loomed over them, and Henshoku screamed as her mother pushed her away into the crowd.

* * *

Van Grimmig gave a heavy sigh as he looked down at Mimi. "Once again, mimic, I must stop your rampage. And, this time," he aimed his crossbow at her head, "I'm not taking you back alive." Mimi still didn't have enough energy to materialize Kinderträumen let alone dodge out of the way. Her claws dug into the dirt as she glared up at Van Grimmig with hatred in her eyes.

 _ **Damn it all to-**_

A loud bang echoed through the forest causing a large flock of birds to scatter from their treetop perches. Mimi's eyes were wide, and her face was stained with some blood. Van Grimmig's eyes also went wide, and for the first time since Mimi had met him his smile disappeared. Van Grimmig frowned. Blinking a few times, not quite sure what happened, Van Grimmig brought up his free hand to his lower back which had a sharp pain running through it. His back was wet, and bringing his hand in front of his face revealed his hand coated in blood.

"Wh-…What?" Van Grimmig's voice was quiet as he spoke. His legs collapsed, and he fell to the ground. "Wh…Wha…" Turning himself over onto his back he looked over, and saw Henshoku's rifle leveled at him. As he looked into her eyes he no longer saw the scared, confused girl from before, but rather cold, empty eyes that looked down on him. Van Grimmig's aura had been weak enough that a single dust tipped round could penetrate, and bring it down. Mimi could still see waves of anxiety coming off Henshoku, but now there was a new negative emotion that began wafting around her; hate. She also noticed a deep crimson mix into her aura as Henshoku's semblance activated. "You-."

"You need to leave." Henshoku repeated Van Grimmig's words, but her voice was much lower, and held venom. "Get out of here. Go away." The blood vessels in her eyes began glowing crimson as her semblance, whatever it was, activated. "Is that all you humans know how to say to us Faunus?" She walked over to Van Grimmig who was now clutching his stomach. Mimi watched on completely dumbstruck as to what was happening.

"Yo-AH." Henshoku stepped on Van Grimmig's gut causing him to writhe in pain. "You…You'd help a Grimm?!" Henshoku narrowed her eyes, and pressed harder with her foot as she pulled the bolt of her rifle back to chamber a new bullet.

"While I do not know everything that's going on there is one thing I'm certain of." She leveled the rifle to Van Grimmig's head. "You're just human scum."

"Do you…have ANY idea what kind of situation you're i-ARGH!" Henshoku twisted her boot on his gut.

"I am painfully situated, Van Grimmig, and I realize my position is a very strange one. But, this is one of those affairs that cannot be mended by talking." Mimi saw the killing intent in Henshoku spike. "So shut up, and die already." The rifle fired as another loud bang echoed through the forest. Henshoku lowered her rifle as she looked down with disgust at Van Grimmig's corpse. After a few seconds she turned her gaze to Mimi, who looked back at her in amazement. "You, on the other hand…Let's talk."

* * *

"Yes, Van Grimmig's death last month sent shock-waves throughout the huntsman community. Though, it was always believed to have been caused by the mimic." The old man breathed in some fresh oxygen before continuing. "To think he was done in by a young girl." He stared off into space for a few seconds before a cough from his guest, who was seated in a chair near him, snapped him back to reality. "Yes, well, while that certainly does explain what happened to Van Grimmig it doesn't explain your being here." Turning his wheelchair around, he fully faced his guest. "The mimic spent years trying to find me, and yet you do it in only a month, probably less since I'm sure you didn't start looking immediately after his death. So, pray tell, how did you come about me, Mrs. Solst." The man's guest, Amber Solst, uncrossed her legs, and looked Frost in the eyes as she told the rest of her story.

* * *

Volume 6 complete. Things are reaching their climax with the death of a legendary huntsman, and the identity of Frost, and his guest revealed! I'm having a lot of fun with this, and would like to thank you all for your support, and continued readings.

Volume 7 begins August 16th with Chapter 85: Blood Red Cardinals


	85. Blood Red Cardinals

The horse trotted along the forest path back towards the Drunken Dragon Inn towing the cart behind it. Henshoku idly watched the road while only lightly holding the reins from the driver's seat. Behind her, sitting with her back to the wall of the cart, Mimi sat silently. Her gaze would occasionally look over to Henshoku, but was mainly on her leg Van Grimmig had managed to catch with his silver eyes, and was trying to focus her regeneration on reclaiming the still bare limb. Some birds were chirping on the high branches above them as they rode past, and a light breeze rustled the leaves, but the two otherwise sat in silence. Henshoku hadn't spoken a word since shooting Van Grimmig, and had silently helped Mimi to her feet, and into the cart she had parked up the road as she originally got off once she heard the commotion of Mimi's fight with Amber. Originally, as well, Henshoku had gone over to Van Grimmig's car, and was going to shoot Amber while she was still unconscious, but Mimi had stopped her; much to Henshoku's confusion, though she dropped it when Mimi didn't budge. Mimi tilted her head back so that it was resting on the top edge of the cart's wall so that she was looking up at the canopy above. Spring was warming up for summer, and the tree's all had beautiful, full branches that the setting sun danced through as they swayed with the wind. It was all rather calming.

"Can you shift?" Mimi turned her head to see Henshoku looking back at her. "We'll be reaching the inn in a few minutes, and Sola was meant to be watching things while I went into town."

 _Yeah…probably don't wanna go into an inn looking like this._ Mimi's eyes flashed, and a black smoke swirled around her. The horse pulling the cart became anxious, but Henshoku quickly pulled the reins in, and calmed it. When the black smoke cleared, Mimi looked like her Faunus self except for the leg which still hadn't been fully reclaimed. However, the leg did at least look like a paler version of her skin color so it shouldn't draw too much suspicion if anyone saw it. _Hopefully._ She looked back over at Henshoku to see the Faunus girl still looking at her for a few more seconds before she finally looked away, and got the horse moving again. _Her head's probably filled with questions._ Mimi returned to looking up at the canopy. _I don't blame her._ She had questions of her own she'd like to ask Henshoku; namely what that semblance was, and why she suddenly started acting differently. The last few minutes went by in continued silence until Henshoku took the cart off the road, and over to the Drunken Dragon Inn which sat quaintly along the road with warm light emanating from the windows. Mimi hopped out, and waited by the entrance while Henshoku unhitched the horse, and led it behind the inn to a stabling area.

"We're back," Henshoku said as she pushed open the front doors with Mimi limping in behind her. "Sola, are yo-…" Henshoku started to call for Sola, but stopped in both speech, and movement, and a heavy sigh escaped her. Mimi stopped looking around, and followed Henshoku's gaze to see a passed out Sola leaning against the bar with a few empty bottles of beer next to him. "And, this is why I need professional guards." She walked over to the passed out Sola, dug through his pockets, and took our some Lien. Mimi cocked her head to the side in confusion. "He's done this before, and knows the consequences," she flatly stated, and walked over to the couches, and chairs that were around the fireplace. Henshoku plopped down onto a couch while Mimi took a chair next to it. "So," Henshoku began as she propped her head up on some pillows, "You're really a creature of Grimm?" Mimi took out her journal, and pencil.

" _Yup._ "

"Huh."

 _Huh?_ Again, Mimi cocked her head to the side. _That was a rather…flat response to that kinda question._

"To be frank; I don't really care what you are." Mimi felt her shoulders relax a bit. "You showed me 'who' you were when you beat up Buchineko, and those Dēmonburēdo thugs."

Mimi gave a sigh, and wrote, " _I only helped you on a whim, Henshoku. I helped you to see if you had any information on Frost._ "

"I know," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. Mimi slowly lowered her pencil to write, but Henshoku cut her off. "Is it really that weird for people to help each other when they want something?" She gave a shrug. "Besides, we don't usually get huntsman out here, and when we do they're always in their four person teams. You being by yourself tipped me off that you weren't traveling for leisure."

 _Huh…that…actually makes a lot of sense._ She felt her shoulder's relax further. Henshoku's straight forward honesty was a rather refreshing change of pace that Mimi felt she could trust the Faunus girl. It had been quite a while since Mimi had felt this at ease with someone. _The last time I could genuinely trust someone was…_ Her mind wandered back to Jade when she went on her comic rant, and even further back to hanging out at Lily's tavern with the Wolves of Karsk. A warm smile made its way onto Mimi's face as she reminisced. Henshoku silently watched Mimi's expressions while keeping her own face neutral. Eventually, Mimi shook her head to clear away the daydream, and returned her attention to Henshoku. " _So, what happened back there? I could tell your semblance activated, but I couldn't tell what it was._ " Mimi figured she'd get the question that immediately plagued her mind out of the way first, if she was willing to share.

"Ah, Hyde." Henshoku rolled her head over to look at the ceiling.

" _Hide?_ " Mimi tapped her journal.

"With a Y instead of the I. That happened almost a month ago." Mimi saw apprehension begin wafting off Henshoku along with a slew of other emotions. She decided to stay silent, and let the Faunus tell her story. "I heard your talk with Van Grimmig, and about his 'Bastion of Clarity' or whatever, and it's kind of like that." Mimi tilted her head to the side. "While his was a passive semblance mine's…triggered." Henshoku's hands were softly shaking. "Originally, I thought I was one of the ones out there born without a semblance; my parents didn't have semblances so it was an okay assumption. But…just over three weeks ago there was a Faunus rights rally held in Helmsword." She waived her hand dismissively at the air. "It's just past Kiku-ka if you take the road west out of town. My parents took me as it was a cause we all believed in. And, there…there…" Henshoku's fists clenched, and the shaky breath she took told Mimi the girl was on the verge of tears. "The rally turned into a riot. Police took their sweet time breaking it up since the humans were winning. Bastards…After that I was alone." She bitterly chuckled to herself, and her eyes glanced in Sola's direction. "Well, almost alone."

" _Is he a friend?_ "

"Sort of. He, and his friends would always frequent our inn since I was six. I think they liked how out of the way the inn is so it's nice, and quiet here most times. Mom hated them, but they got on dad's good side, and eventually warmed her up to being tolerant of them." A weary smile played on Henshoku's face. "At least one of them would always be here every day after the riot…Except for one day." The smile faded, and she licked her lips in apprehension. "This was before the Dēmonburēdo moved in so I didn't have their 'protection' yet. But it was storming pretty badly, and it was Sola's usual day to show up, but he hadn't yet. There were only two guests." Mimi could hear Henshoku's heart start to beat faster. "They saw a Faunus girl all by herself in the middle of a terrible storm with no one around, and did what thugs do in those situations." Mimi was about to write, but stopped herself as she decided to let Henshoku go at her own speed, and reveal only what she saw fit to. "That was the first time my semblance activated." She stretched her arm out in front of her, and opened her hand. "Hyde removes all my fear, all my doubt, and lets me just…act. It feels kind of like an out of body experience, to be honest." She let her arm fall back to the couch, and stayed quiet for a few moments. "I killed them." Her voice was a soft whisper. "By the time Sola made it all he found was me washing blood out of my clothes; the bodies I threw out into the woods, and I'm pretty sure some Grimm ate them. I told Sola I had been messing with some of the meat I keep for dinners, and the shelving collapsed onto me…I don't know if he bought it, or just refuses to say anything. And, now there he is: passed out drunk at my bar after drinking my booze."

" _He at least still cares about you._ "

"Yeah, I know, but I also know that he, and his friends can't always be here for me." She turned her head over to look directly at Mimi. "I'm not asking you to give up your chase for Frost…Just…Could you spare a few weeks?" Henshoku's eyes were drooping shut, and her bags were very noticeable. For once, Mimi felt her own heart ache. A part of her was saying that Henshoku was just manipulating her with a sob story to get a guard for her place…but…

" _We can talk about that in the morning._ "

"Fair enough. Then…could you at least take the night shift?" Henshoku's eyes were fluttering as she fought to stay awake. "I haven't gotten a reasonable sleep…in weeks…" Mimi grinned, and nodded. "Thanks…make sure to…lock the door…" Finally giving in to her weakened body, Henshoku passed out, and started to gently snore. Looking over her, Mimi saw that Henshoku's aura was in tatters. It was trying to heal her many cuts and bruises from over working, give her the energy to make it through the day on minimal sleep, and reform itself from some kind of damage it had sustained and never fully healed from. Mimi also guessed she wasn't eating regularly based on how thin she looked. Luckily, being a creature of Grimm meant Mimi didn't need to sleep. She locked the doors, secured the windows, turned off the lights, and cleaned up the bottles by Sola. Returning to her chair, Mimi gave a deep sigh as the only thing keeping the dark at bay was the fireplace that still held a small fire. The small flames flickered, and danced as Mimi stared into them contemplating what to do...what she **wanted** to do.


	86. In the Shadows of Giants

Orange light pierced its way through the forest canopy when Amber finally stirred back to the conscious world. Her eyes strained to open, and when she tried to move her entire body ached. Looking around revealed her to be inside the car she, and Van Grimmig had taken to traverse Mistral's vast territory more quickly, but no one was in the driver's seat; she was alone. With a trembling hand Amber rubbed her throbbing temples as she played back when happened to her in her mind. They'd gotten a lead on the mimic's location. Followed it down the forest road until Amber noticed a lone Faunus girl traveling the road that matched the description the ship crewman had given them. She'd laid in wait to ambush, and upon contact the Faunus revealed itself to be the mimic Grimm. _But…_ Amber looked around the empty vehicle. _Where did it go?_ Amber exited the car to look around the surrounding forest, but she soon found she didn't need to go far. Laying a few feet away from the car was the corpse of Van Grimmig; even though the head was in pieces she'd recognize his attire anywhere. She quickly got into a combat stance, and focused on her surroundings. Seconds past, but nothing happened. The leaves softly rustled in the breeze. Birds chirped as they flew about their business. But, nothing happened. _Where's the mimic?_ Amber's stance relaxed a bit as she continued to scan the tree-line. A dull pain went through her head as she tried to remember what else happened before she passed out, and one memory stuck out. When she was being overwhelmed by the beowolves, and her vision was going dark Amber swore she saw Kinderträumen cut the Grimm down, and the roar of its engines were unmistakable to her. _But…Jade's…_ She took a deep, shaky breath. It was obvious the mimic was gone, and that it had spared her; for some unknown reason. Silently, Amber took some tarps from the back of the car, wrapped up Van Grimmig's corpse, and set him laying down in the back seats.

* * *

"And, that is my report." Amber was sitting in a private inn room in the town of Kiku-ka that was just outside the forest. It was the next day, and she was talking to her scroll that displayed three images on it with each representing a member of the Vale council.

"I see," the man in the middle spoke, and rubbed his chin in apprehension, "That is…most unfortunate to hear." Although the scroll didn't have the best quality, Amber could easily see that all three heads were deeply concerned about the report she had delivered. The smaller man was gnawing on his fingernails to the point Amber would be amazed if he still had nails left to chew after the call ended. The woman was a bit more stoic, but her gaze was downcast as if she were deep in thought.

The woman spoke, "Van Grimmig was an asset we couldn't afford to lose." She leaned back in her chair. "Despite his age he was still a recognizable huntsman." Amber narrowed her eyes. During her years training under Van Grimmig she'd had the privilege of listening in on a number of conversations he'd had with the council of Vale. Frankly speaking; she wasn't impressed.

The man in the middle spoke, "Indeed. This will affect a number of our plans, but we'll adapt." The three started discussing things Amber knew nothing about, and she didn't really care. When she noticed a lull in their discussion she spoke up.

"What are my next moves?" The conversation halted. Amber felt a lump in her throat as all three turned their attention to her. The man in the middle leaned forward.

"Nothing." It was only a single word, but it made Amber freeze. She blinked a few times in confusion at his curt statement.

"Nothing?" she asked. "Wh-…What do you mean nothing?" Her hand shook as she tried to steady the scroll. "The mimic's here! It's somewhere here! That thing is here, and we have to-"

"We don't **have** to do anything, Mrs. Solst." The man in the middle cut her off. He allowed a few moments of silence to pass by before he continued. "Van Grimmig was Vale's top huntsman, and according to you, and the images you sent his head is nothing more than a bloody crater." His eyes narrowed. "You yourself fought the mimic, and failed. Van Grimmig fought the mimic, and failed."

The woman spoke with words dripping with an unseen venom, "Indeed, he was one of our best assets. It's quite a miracle that you survived your encounter. It's almost too unbelievable." Amber's eyes widened.

"Are you saying I shouldn't be here?!"

"Oh no no, not at all. I'm just saying that Van Grimmig was the greatest huntsman Vale's ever seen, and while you are his apprentice it is quite…convenient that you should survive your encounter with the mimic Grimm while he falls."

"I didn't run!" Amber rose from the bed she was sitting on, and her voice almost cracked.

"Whether you ran away, or not this is no longer our concern." The man in the middle spoke, and waived his hand dismissively. "The mimic is in Mistral now, so it's their problem. Let their huntsman deal with it."

"I can't just let it go!" Amber protested, "I'm so close!"

"Then you will do so without our support." He gave a heavy sigh, and looked Amber in the eyes. "Armies have failed. Huntsman teams have failed. And, the greatest huntsman of our time has failed. It's time to cut our losses, and move on." He interlocked his fingers, and rested his chin on his thumbs. "I pray you do the same to not meet the same fate." And, with that, the connection was cut. Amber was once more left alone. Her hands limply fell to her side, the scroll dropped from her hand, and hit the floor. The sounds of a busy noon day outside her window was distant to her as her mind refused to focus. Was it really over just because Van Grimmig was gone? Looking back Amber recalled that every step they had taken, every advance in their search that occurred was because of the connections Van Grimmig had possessed. And, now that he was gone, what did that leave her with? Once word spread about Van Grimmig's death, and that his apprentice still lived she knew she would be labeled a coward that ran away leaving her mentor to die by Grimm claws. Without him she would never have accomplished any of this. Tears began to passively stream down her face, and fall to the floor as Amber continued to stand in her room with no idea what to do next. If she went after the mimic again then what? How would the outcome be any different than the one she'd just experienced? Reality was hitting Amber like a truck. A Grimm's stamina was far greater than a human's, and the mimic had been around for countless years fighting countless battles; the level the mimic was probably at was something Amber could only hope to aspire to reach. If it even wanted too; the mimic had spared her, and when they were fighting didn't seem like it was putting its all into it. Did the mimic pity her? Could even a creature of Grimm see how pitiful she was? Amber collapsed backwards onto her bed, grabbed the pillow, put it to her face, and screamed.


	87. Criminal Intent

The warehouse bustled with activity as humans in matching jackets scurried about doing their daily work of organizing, and maintaining cargo containers filled with weapons, and supplies. For an upstart gang, the Dēmonburēdo were on a stroke of good luck when it came to their hits which gave them an abundance of supplies. Buchineko strode through the open main doors with her two goons in tow with briefcases in their arms filled with dust crystals from a recent extortion gig. One of the goons spoke as he gestured to a stack of crates, "Should we put'em with the rest, boss?"

Buchineko dismissively waived her hand, "With the rest." The two goons bowed, and departed to drop off the cases, and mingle with some of their fellow members who were discussing something nearby. Buchineko continued through the warehouse admiring the progress they'd made in such a short amount of time compared to most Mistral gangs. However, the good times don't last forever. She eventually reached the doors to an office that was tucked away in one of the corners with two armed thugs standing guard. When she approached they only gave a nod, and one of them opened the door for her. The office was decently lit with overhead florescent lights, and had a large conference table that took up the middle of the room. Lieutenants, and the rest of the higher ups of the gang were already seated around the table, and their idle chatter danced around the room. Buchineko quietly took her seat. The voices started to die down as now everyone was present. The man at the head of the table glanced around the room before speaking.

"Good, we are accounted for." His voice was gruff, and he popped a cough drop into his mouth. "I'm sure many of you already know the purpose of this meeting, but for those who don't…" The leader opened a folder that was in front of him, and started sifting through the contents. "Over the past couple months we've been living good. Our hits are spot on. Our territory grows. We practically ruled the north-east coast of Mistral." He clicked his tongue. "Practically." There was a pause as silence crept around the room. The leader took out one of the papers from the folder. "And, that 'practically' is coming to rear its head at us. A few of our older tributes are getting restless at our apparent 'weaknesses for losing turf to some of the other gangs, and even a few of the local tribes." He turned to the woman on his right. "Akchi." The woman held a clipboard, and stood.

"Yes, Lord Akuma." She briefly scanned her clipboard before turning her attention to the members gathered at the table. "The past two weeks have seen a decline in both profit, and control. A new vein was discovered in Vacuo which is causing everyone to buy cheaper from the corporations stationed out there rather than local suppliers here; this has cut our funds by a large margin. We've also suffered retaliations, and take-overs from rival factions including: the Dust Devils, the Nevermore's Talons, the Branwen Tribe, and the Alkross Tribe to name a few."

One of the lieutenants spoke up, "And we're just letting this happen?" A few of the others started murmuring, and tension began mounting. Akchi stood silent for a few moments before sitting down as she knew what was coming next. Akuma slammed a hand onto the table which silenced the room, and brought all eyes back to him. Slowly, he stood from his chair.

"Of course we're not just going to 'let this happen' you uncooked sea urchin. It's why I've brought you all here. We're going to consolidate here in Helmsword. Spreading ourselves too thin is what invited these outsiders to attack, and us unable to defend. We need consolidation. We need to focus on our immediate threats. We need-"

"A little gift from Her." Everyone abruptly shot up from their seats as the doors to the office were thrown open, and a man in a sharp suit burst in. Everyone drew their weapons, and leveled them at the intruder.

"What the-…" Buchineko spared a glance at the man's feet, and saw the two guards knocked out on the flood. Akuma was none too pleased.

"State your name, intruder, so that I may carve it onto your grave!" The intruder raised his hands, and held a shit eating grin.

"A name? Why, I haven't had one of those in years, my dear Lord Akuma. I am merely an Instigator bound to the service of my humble Dark Lady." His eyes narrowed as he met Akuma's gaze. "A Dark Lady who has sent me bearing gifts."

"And, why should I accept any kind of gift from this Dark Lady of yours, nameless one?" Akuma's patience was wearing thin.

"Oh, great Lord Akuma, Her gifts are sent as an olive branch of good faith. An extension of good will! All I ask is that you at least appraise them." He bowed. "Accept them, or not, that choice is yours alone." Akuma grit his teeth as he thought over Instigator's words.

"Buchineko," Akuma said through grit teeth.

"Sir?"

"If he tries anything else turn his head into a mantel piece." Akuma walked around the table towards the exit flanked by Akchi, and another lieutenant. Instigator smiled warmly, and led the way out of the warehouse while taking care to step over the two downed guards. The Dēmonburēdo warehouse was at the end of the pier furthest from the actual town-proper of Helmsword, and closest to the water. As the group exited the warehouse they saw a rather large boat docked in front of them with a crane unloading multiple crates. Akuma raised an eyebrow, and Instigator gestured to the closest crate.

"After you, Lord Akuma." Instigator's bow was overly dramatic as he stepped aside for the leader of the Dēmonburēdo to receive the gifts. Akuma motioned towards the crate, and a grunt with a crowbar walked over, and pried the lid off. The grunt looked inside, and froze.

"Oi!" Akuma barked, but the grunt continued to stand dumbfounded. The crowbar dropped from his hand, and he slowly turned around towards Akuma with a look of bewilderment. Walking over, Akuma looked inside the crate, and his heart skipped a beat. Neatly lined within the crate was row, after row of the latest Altas military assault rifle. He picked on up, not fully believing it to be real, but the weight proved itself.

"Taken fresh from the assembly lines in Mantle," Instigator said proudly. Everyone present had looks of amazement as they looked over to the still closed crates. Akuma took one of the loaded magazines, and loaded the rifle. There was a satisfying 'Ker-chunk' sound as the rifle chambered a bullet. A wicked grin overtook Akuma's face as he quickly turned towards the water, leveled the rifle to his shoulder, and pulled the trigger. Rounds poured out of the assault rifle piercing the water's surface. The handling, accuracy, rounds per minute, everything sent a devilish chill up Akuma's back. When the gun clicked empty he let his arms hang at his side.

"You know," Akuma said still in the afterglow of the moment, "I think I like this 'Dark Lady' of yours."

"Oh, Lord Akuma, that is only the least of Her gifts." As he spoke the crane lowered a massive cargo container that made even the ship's crane groan against the weight. Instigator went over to the container's keypad, and punched in a code. Steam hissed as the container's door slide open. If jaws weren't already on the floor from the rifles, the contents of the container would see they were. Akchi was the first to snap herself out of the daze, and addressed Instigator.

"Why are you giving us such gifts?" As her question set in more people turned to Instigator; who merely smiled.

"My Dark Lady only wishes for one thing, you see. And, to help achieve her goal I was sent to recruit capable allies. The Dēmonburēdo have proven themselves in the past months by making great strides, but my Lady is not interested in strides, but great leaps."

Akchi narrowed her eyes, "What are you asking us to do?" A devil's smile played across Instigator's face, and an evil glint crossed his eyes.

"Simple; for you to conquer."


	88. Poking the Bear

"I'm cutting you off." Henshoku grabbed the empty mug off the table, and curtly turned back towards the bar.

"Awwww, c'mon!" a saddened Sola whined, "I can barely feel it."

"How many have you had?" Henshoku didn't even look over her shoulder as she went behind the bar, and started washing the cup in the sink.

"…Three."

"You're two off."

"So, one!" Sola triumphantly said which got a laugh out of his friends. Henshoku rolled her eyes. Trying a different tactic, Sola turned, and said, "Mimi~, Birdie's being mean, again." Mimi, who was cleaning a table nearby, just chuckled while shaking her head. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's true."

"It's been a week since she started, but it only took a day for her to see through your bullshit, Sola," Henshoku flatly stated while shining the mug, "You'll get no pity from her." Sola scowled, and his friends took turns jabbing at him. Henshoku gave a heavy sigh. The air was…peaceful. Mimi had already finished wiping down the table, but she let her arm continue to idly do the motion as she relaxed. She'd originally only taken up the job of keeping the grounds clear of Grimm, but soon found herself assisting Henshoku with the day-to-day affairs of running the inn. Not that Mimi minded; once she'd established to the other Grimm through a few rough skirmishes that this was her territory they started giving the inn a wide berth, so things were kind of boring on that front. Plus, even though it had only been a week of her helping Mimi noticed that Henshoku's aura had made significant progress in repairing itself. Normally Henshoku's aura would flicker constantly throughout the day, but now it was down to only once, or twice a day. It was far from healed, but it was a start, and Mimi felt good knowing it was from her help. Her arm stopped moving as her mind drifted. Jade's familiar warm glow was emanating from deep within her. A soft smile played on Mimi's lips as she had come to enjoy the feeling of 'good' again. However, a loud noise brought her out of her thoughts as a group of five men dressed in matching Dēmonburēdo jackets had entered the inn by kicking the door down. Everyone tensed up as the goons slowly sauntered their way inside. Henshoku wasn't amused.

"Hey! You gonna pay for tha-" she was about to finish, but froze when the closest goon took out an assault rifle, and shoved it in her face. Sola, and friends immediately shot up from their seats only to have three rifles leveled at them. The fifth goon walked to the center of the common area taking in the sight of the inn, and nodding his head.

"Nice. Nice. I see why the boss lady wants this place. It's a quaint little retreat." His assault rifle was being bounced on his shoulder as she nonchalantly continued through the inn. Eventually, he came up to Mimi who had straightened up from cleaning the table; the goon was a full head taller than her. "Though, gotta say," he flicked Mimi's antlers with a finger, "It'd be a lot nicer without the animals stinking the place up." The shit-eating grin on his face was really pissing Mimi off. He started eyeing Mimi up, and down, and Mimi started seeing a particular emotion begin emanating off the goon; lust. "Of course, I'm sure we could come to an…agreement for your continued stay?" The assault rifle was leveled, and the barrel pushed against Mimi's collar bone before it slowly started working its way down to the top of her shirt.

 _Yeah? How about_ _ **no**_ _._ While the goon's eyes were ogling her body, Mimi tossed the rag she was holding off to the left which further distracted the goon. With a single swift motion Mimi grabbed the assault rifle, ripped it out of the man's hands, wound back, and used it like a baseball bat slamming it into the goon's face. Due to her increased strength the assault rifle broke into two pieces upon impact, and the man's aura shattered as his body was sent flying across the room, and into two of the goon's holding up Sola, and friends. It happened so fast none of the remaining goons had a chance to properly react. Henshoku took her chance, and dropped behind the bar. The goon that was supposed to be watching her saw her move, snapped back to reality, and opened fire. Since he was aiming above the counter the bullets flew over Henshoku, and into the glasses of alcohol that were lined along the back wall. Glass, and various types of alcohol rained down on Henshoku as she worked her way across the bar doing her best to stay low. The one goon still standing was quickly tackled to the ground by Sola, and his two friends rushed over to the three downed goons to take their guns away.

"FUCK!" A bullet ripped through the wood counter, and just missed Henshoku's head. Mimi immediately leapt into the air, and over the tables to tackle the remaining goon. The assault rifle clicked empty which snapped the goon out of his bullet trance, noticed Mimi, and brought up his gun to block. Mimi kicked the gun out of the way, continued the spin, and back handed the goon. The force sent the goon to the floor, and his aura, along with some floor boards, shattered. Mimi turned her attention towards the bar, and could smell a very scared, but very alive, Henshoku. She breathed a sigh of relief, and refocused on the other Dēmonburēdo goons; the one at her feet was knocked out, and Sola was pinning one to the ground, but the three that were sent flying earlier had gotten back up, and fought off Sola's friends.

"We'll remember this!" one of them shouted as the three left their comrades to their fates, "Nobody messes with the Dēmonburēdo!"

 _Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're real intimidating with all that shit in your pants._ Mimi sent them a glare, which spooked the one who shouted, and caused him to race after the others. A car's engine could be heard outside starting up, but Mimi decided to let them go as she had other things to help handle. _Namely…_ She turned towards ruins of the bar. The counter was littered with bullet holes along with the back wall, and the walking area was covered in alcohol, and glass. Henshoku was huddled at the far end hyperventilating with one hand tightly gripping her heart as she desperately tried to control herself. Walking over, Mimi could see the unmistakable scents of Henshoku's fear, and anger wafting off the Faunus girl. _At least they only trashed the bar._ She knelt down in front of Henshoku, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Henshoku jumped slightly, her head shot up to see who it was, and visibly relaxed a little when she saw it was Mimi.

"I-…It's over?" Henshoku's voice shook. While Mimi was used to gunfire she knew not everyone was a possibly immortal Grimm who'd seen war. Mimi gave her a reassuring nod, and softly squeezed her shoulder. "Right…" Henshoku said absentmindedly, "Right." Mimi helped her to her feet, and the two carefully exited from behind the bar. They both stopped once out, and looked over the destroyed mess. Henshoku's hands trembled, and Mimi tasted uncertainty.

" _Bars can be replaced. You can't._ " she wrote on a page from her journal, and showed it to Henshoku.

"Yeah…Yeah…" Henshoku licked her lips in apprehension. She bitterly added under her breath, "Just wish it wouldn't cost so much."

"Well, we can always have our friends front the bill." Mimi, and Henshoku turned towards Sola, and the still pinned goon. Anger flared up from Henshoku as the Faunus girl slowly walked towards the Dēmonburēdo goon. Mimi hung back, but remained by Henshoku's side; just in case.

"Yes, I think we will, Sola." The goon, who was looking rather annoyed at being pinned, looked up at Henshoku, and Mimi saw some of the color drain from his face. The blood vessels in Henshoku's eyes softly started glowing red. "I think we will."


	89. Weary Souls

Henshoku whipped the reins of the horse sending it into a gallop through the forest pulling the wagon Mimi was sitting in. Sola, and friends had agreed to, after much arguing, watch the Drunken Dragon while Henshoku, and Mimi went to the Dēmonburēdo headquarters at Helmsword. Although they were on their second day of traveling Mimi still wasn't sure it was the best idea for Henshoku to come with as she was sure she could handle it herself, but the Faunus was persistent. It was her inn, so she had every right to be a part of dealing with them. Mimi leaned back against the wagon's railing, and watched the blowing leaves above. Henshoku wasn't used to combat, and the Dēmonburēdo had somehow gotten their hands on military grade weapons.

 _Come to think of it…Are huntsman weapons military grade?_ Mimi's expression was distant as her mind wandered. _They all seem to use such exotic weapons I can't imagine any military mass producing them, but huntsman seem to be able to have such deadly weapons with everyone else being okay with it…They're KIDS for crying out loud!_

* * *

"Says the one who looks like she's barely eighteen!" Mimi blinked, and found herself in a white void with a green cloaked figure standing next to her. She was back in her mind.

"Jade?" She hadn't fallen unconscious, and she couldn't recall falling asleep. "What am I…?" Her voice trailed off as she noticed Jade was looking rather annoyed. "…Doing…here…"

"I will have you know we huntsmen spend years training with our weapons. Kinderträumen, and I were together for three years before I joined Beacon."

"Wait…three years?" Mimi did some quick mental math. "You got that thing when you were thirteen?!" Jade just shrugged.

"Look, just because you grew up with spears, and bows doesn't mean I can't grow up with rocket glaives." Her tone was very matter-of-fact about this.

"That's a terrible excuse."

"Never said it was one." They both laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. After they calmed down Jade spoke again, "So, what brings you here?" A shit eating grin formed on Jade's face. "Did you miss me?"

"You? Yes. Your shit? Could live without that, to be honest." Jade crossed her arms, and pouted. "In any case, I thought you were the one who brought me here; I was just enjoying the sunny day when, before I knew it, I was here."

"Huh," Jade said, and leaned back against the white void, "Then I guess she brought you here." She pointed behind Mimi. When Mimi turned around she saw the constantly melting form of her inner Grimm standing in a puddle of itself roughly five feet away. It's appearance was still unnerving. Jade put a hand on Mimi's shoulder, and leaned in close to whisper, "She's actually been kind of gloomy lately."

"Gloomy?" Mimi looked over the humanoid shaped black ooze with antlers. "How can you even tell when it's awake?"

"Well, usually they're rather alert when I interact with her, but recently she's been kinda distant, and she spaces out when I try to talk to her." The Grimm remained silent, and continued to face Mimi. "Maybe she wants something from you?"

"What am I even supposed to say?"

"I don't know, she's your inner Grimm, so I'm sure you can think of something." Mimi felt Jade's other hand on her opposite shoulder, and before she could react Jade shoved Mimi towards the Grimm.

"JADE!" Mimi stumbled forward, but caught herself just before she crashed into the Grimm. It 'looked' at her. "Umm…" Mimi straightened herself upright, and matched the ooze's 'gaze' as best she could. "So…is everything okay?" she asked hesitantly.

" **Why…here?** " It's voice was low, and seemed almost frightened.

"Here?" Mimi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'here'?"

" **Frost…remains.** "

"…Oh."

" **Why do we…linger here…?** " Mimi dropped her inner Grimm's gaze. Jade continued to lean on the void contempt with just listening. " **He…still…lives…** " Henshoku's words played back in her mind.

"And, what if he doesn't?"

" **He does.** "

"How do you know?"

" **He does.** "

"That's not what I'm asking!" Mimi snapped. The inner Grimm almost seemed to 'flinch' at that.

" **…He…does…** " The inner Grimm's head slumped a little, and the voice sounded sad.

"Wha-…Look, a lot of things have happened the past few days, and I haven't had a chance to hunt him since I'm helping Henshoku."

" **Then…leave…Henshoku.** " Mimi froze, and a silence fell between the two. After a few tense moments Mimi spoke.

"No."

" **Why?** "

"Because, I want to help Henshoku." Mimi's voice was firm as she once again met her inner Grimm's gaze.

" **What about…Frost?** "

"Why are you so obsessed with Frost?" Mimi threw her arms out to her sides. "I'm the one he hurt, not you."

" **Because…your…revenge…** "

"What does my revenge matter to…you…" Mimi was about to go off on her inner Grimm, but noticed that its postured changed from neutral to a timid one. This time the inner Grimm was the one to break Mimi's gaze.

" **It's all…I…have…** " They spoke in a soft, defeated tone. As Mimi tried to contemplate what they meant she recalled something Jade had said to her when she first met the inner Grimm during the fight with Ozpin.

"You're my inner drive." The Grimm remained silent. "My instinct. My desire. You keep me moving forward on the path I set for myself back then. But, now that there's a diversion…you have no idea what to do." The inner Grimm's shoulders slumped a little, and it spoke in its defeated voice like a child who was devastated by something.

" **I don't…want to stop…hunting…** " The ooze it was made of softly began quivering. " **I don't…want to…forgive him…** " Its voice shook, more than before, and it refused to look at Mimi. " **I don't…want to…disappear…** " Mimi stood silently as she processed her inner Grimm's words. After a while she took a deep breath, and walked towards it. She walked into the puddle that was at the Grimm's 'feet' so that she was face to face with the Grimm.

"If you think you're going to disappear if I stop hunting Frost, then you're an idiot." The inner Grimm's bull-like head turned towards her, and Jade cracked a smile. "You're my inner desires, right? Then, so long as I desire something you won't disappear."

" **But..Fro-** "

"Revenge isn't your only food!" The Grimm fell silent. "You, and I have been through so much together, and if there's one thing I've learned about the creatures of Grimm it's that they DON'T need negative emotions to survive." Mimi brought her hands up, and grabbed her inner Grimm's shoulders which caused it to jump slightly. "While negative emotions are the most immediately filling there's other things out there. Remember Sandra, and Lily? Just tasting the love they had for each other for a few minutes filled us up for months. Or, heck, any of the other members of the Wolves who fell in love. Tom, and Shelly? Jerik, and Frank? Bengul, and Sarah? Love can replace hate!" Mimi started shaking her inner Grimm, and her voice raised to almost a yell; though, she was yelling more at herself than her Grimm. "And, if that's not enough, we can always eat other Grimm! Our years spent wandering the Vacuo desert showed us that that can work. There's ways for us to keep going other than Frost!" She stopped shaking the Grimm, and a warm smile played on her lips as she continued. "I'm tired. We've been going for decades now, and as I get more, and more accustomed to having a soul again I'm really feeling those years. You've helped me so much; heck, you're the reason I'm still alive. I'll always give you a reason to exist." The inner Grimm started shaking again, but it wasn't from sadness this time. It had no idea how to react, and was panicking. So, Mimi pulled it into a hug. The oozing 'flesh' didn't provide much stability, but Mimi got it to work. After a few moments, she felt the Grimm's ooze arms wrap around her, and its head rest on her shoulder.

"Hey hey!" Jade suddenly appeared, and wrapped her arms around both the Grimm, and Mimi. "No group hugs without everyone. I'm in this with you too; all the way!" Mimi let out a laugh as they wrestled themselves into a group hug. Even though she couldn't read the expression of her inner Grimm Mimi felt an 'ease' from it, and its posture relaxed. "Oh, by the way…" Jade said, and looked Mimi in the eyes.

* * *

"Wake up." Mimi slowly opened her eyes to find herself back in the wagon, and Henshoku was looking at her over her shoulder. "You awake?" Mimi nodded, and stretched. "I thought Grimm didn't need to sleep?"

" _I was lost in a daydream._ "

"Ah. Well, we're here." Mimi sat up, and looked towards the front. They were currently on top of a hill that was overlooking the shimmering ocean, and the bustling dockyard of the port town of Helmsword.


	90. Co-Conspirator

As one of the few towns that had reliable internet access, Kiku-ka was a sort of hub town for the surrounding area as it was outside of the forest, and relatively close to Helmsword making it the first stop to, and from the port town. With this status as a hub came increased trade, and wealth for the people of Kiku-ka; so long as they were human. Two landmarks of the town also kept a small tourism industry alive: an old oriental style castle that was turned into the main government building at the town's center, and a pagoda that stood as the second tallest building which was turned into a library. Within the library most of the floors were dedicated to physical books, and records while the first two floors were turned into computer centers that allowed instant access to the library's archives as well as normal internet access. It was here that Amber renewed her efforts in searching for the mimic Grimm after spending the previous day a mental wreck. Then again, saying she wasn't a wreck currently would be objectively wrong, too.

-Input Search Term…

-"Mimic"

The screen flashed, and a list of links flooded the screen; most of them were of birds mimicking their owner's speech, and the owner's subsequent reactions. Amber rolled her eyes, and went back to the search bar.

-"Mimic Grimm"

Links of birds, and small children mimicking Grimm noises flooded the screen. Amber's fingers irritably began tapping the keyboard, and she let out a low groan. A few patrons looked at the annoyed huntress apprehensively before turning back to what they were originally doing while occasionally sending a nervous glance her way.

-"Mimic Grimm Lakehurst"

This time the screen went blank, and a pop-up window appeared.

-Please enter credentials:

-User ID

-Password

 _Now we're getting somewhere._ Amber typed in her huntsman identification number, and the password she had set to it when she was given the account after completing her combat exam.

-Processing. Please Wait…

An audible sigh escaped her as Amber leaned back in the chair. _Can't these things go any faster?_ She thought while idly playing with a strand of her hair. It was getting kind of long, and she debated shortening it. _It'd be easier to take care of if I-._ A bright flash brought her attention back to the computer.

-No Results.

… _Excuse me?_ Amber's eyebrow was fully raised as she read, and reread the message the computer was giving her. _Do they…not have it?_ Her hands hovered above the keyboard. _No, it's impossible not to know; it was all over the news for weeks._ More confused than before, Amber redefined her search terms.

-"Lakehurst Destruction"

Links began flooding the screen of old articles dating back to the incident. However, when Amber clicked on one of the articles, and began skimming through it she found a distinctive lack of the word 'mimic'. Her hands nervously twitched. She tried again.

-"Gardenfell Incident"

Article, after article on the Grimm attack on Gardenfell fourteen years ago filled her screen. And, article after article never mentioned the mimic Grimm. _HOW!?_ Amber abruptly stood from the desk, and glared angrily at the computer. Those patrons that were sitting closest to her quickly, and quietly moved away. _The mimic was CALLED OUT by the news outlets! VNN caught it on camera for fuck's sake!_ Yet, despite what she told herself, or what she remembered, none of the articles on the Gardenfell incident used the word 'mimic' instead opting for 'a horde of Grimm'.

"Why…?" she whispered to herself. "Why aren't you listed?"

"Because it was censored, obviously." Amber's eyes shot up from her screen towards the person who was sitting across from her at the opposite computer. The man held a soft smile on his face, and was dressed in a rather sharp looking suit. Amber straightened her back to stand fully upright, and looked down on the man with narrowed eyes.

"Censored?"

"Well, yes," he flatly stated, "While it may be a known thing within the echelons of the huntsman community, the mimic Grimm is actively being censored out of normal outlets to keep the public ignorant."

Amber grinned, and scoffed, "You're talking conspiracy theories."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, and I don't have time for conspiracy bullshit."

"Then find an article on the mimic." The man's shit eating grin wasn't helping as Amber knew she couldn't find anything. Wait…

"How do you know what I'm looking for?" Irritation filled her voice. "Were you spying on me?"

"Spying is such a nasty word. I prefer 'aggressively waiting for an opportunity'." He sounded too cheery for Amber's liking.

"Right, well, how about you 'aggressively wait for an opportunity' up the nearest beowolf's ass?" The man amusedly raised an eyebrow at the remark, and Amber started to walk away from the computer in frustration.

"Fox Strilder." The man spoke calmly, and clearly while only his eyes followed Amber.

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" Amber asked. But, the only reply she got was the man motioning towards the computer. She rolled her eyes. "I swear…" Amber knew she didn't have any leads, and thus nothing better to go on. Could she trust some mystery stalker? Sitting back down at the desk, Amber went to the search bar.

-"Fox Strilder"

Various links appeared, as well as some documentary clips about the 'Desert Fox of Atlas' that plagued Vacuo during the Great War through his raiding tactics, and use of Atlas Squire-45 battlesuits. While it made for an interesting read Amber wasn't sure why she should care, and raised an eyebrow at the man. "Some old Atlas war hero?"

"Indeed. Quite an interesting fellow, if you ask me. He actually fought during the final battle at the dust mines."

"Yeah, and died there," Amber flatly stated, "Again, why should I care about some old soldier?"

"Because of who that soldier called his comrades," the man spoke in a seductive tone that creeped Amber out a little.

"Ah-huh…" Amber looked back to the screen, and started skimming Fox's history. "A lot of big named soldiers, and battles in Vacuo what's your…point…" Amber stopped scrolling, and her eyes widened as she started reading a section that told of what Fox did during the early years of the Great War, and who he served with. "Professor Shiro?"

"As part of an early strike team," the man spoke, and watched Amber continue to read. "During the weeks leading up to, and for a few years into the Great War, Fox Strilder served alongside Shiro Gane, who later changed his name to Jenkins, under Frost Maximillian as they three disrupted dust supply lines throughout Vacuo. Many dust runners would fall victim to those three." He leaned back in his chair as he continued to watch Amber pour over Fox, and Shiro's careers. "And, his death at the dust mines is quite fascinating, isn't it?" Amber got to the section that talked about Fox's final battle, and her body froze. "He was slain in single combat against a 'hired mercenary' that was aiding Vacuo." He gave a chuckle. "Honestly, a single merc against a fully trained soldier of Atlas while they wore a Squire-45? Quite something isn't it?"

"…What are you saying?" Amber's voice was low, and her eyes darted back up to the man.

"Tell me, you've fought the mimic before, did it ever appear that it was…oh I don't know…trying extra hard to kill Professor Jenkins." Amber's heart started to beat faster as her mind raced back to when she fought the mimic with JADE on the airship years ago. She was about to begin looking into the final person, Frost Maximillian, but stopped. Her gaze shifted from the computer screen to the man.

"Why are you telling me this?" A tension began mounting in the air as a sly smile crept onto the man's face. Amber's feet anxiously shifted to allow her to counter an attack on a moment's notice. Calmly, the man spoke.

"You see, I work for a rather important person who…doesn't like loose ends." Amber's grip tightened on the computer mouse. "And, the mimic Grimm is one such end."

"So, they've asked you to get me to take care of it?"

"No." Amber blinked in surprise. "I would never dare to put words into my Lady's mouth. The actions I'm taking in telling you this information are strictly on my own accord as I like to go above, and beyond my service."

"Why does your 'Lady' have loose end dealings with the mimic?" The man's smile never faltered, and that send Amber even more on edge.

"The hunter does not need to know who called the hunt, just that it was called. Though, if it will sate your mind, perhaps a formal request is in order." The man placed a briefcase on the desk, and slid it over to Amber. She raised an eyebrow, and slowly opened it only for her mouth to hang agape. The suitcase was filled with Lien worth a few thousand. "Huntsman work on a contract basis, so consider this me officially hiring you, Amber Solst." Amber's eyes returned to the man. "I want you to kill the mimic Grimm."


	91. Heart to Blackened Heart

"So, what's the plan?" Henshoku, and Mimi left the horse, and cart at the stables since they weren't currently trading, so they had to walk the rest of the way through Helmsword. It was smaller than a major port city like Argus, but calling it a 'town' would be understating it. Currently, they were walking down the main road towards the docks which was bustling under the afternoon sun. "Just go in guns blazing?" Henshoku had opted for wearing a cloak over her usual clothing to hide her identity from passive onlookers. Mimi, in contrast, was in her Faunus form with her armor disguised as normal huntress armor, with Kinderträumen attached to her back with a harness. It's not like she could hide her appearance with the antlers that still refused to go away no matter how hard she concentrated. She got a few glances her way from some humans, but none of them said anything. Mimi chalked it up to them probably being slightly more tolerant of a Faunus if they were also a huntsman. That, and not many people would openly insult someone who had a rocket glaive strapped to their back.

" _Something like that. It's worked rather well for me so far._ " Mimi passed Henshoku the note, and went back to looking around at the sights. She'd seen a bit of it at Lakehurst, but the oriental architecture of Mistral was rather breathtaking for someone used to plain sandstone buildings. Vale's buildings were nice, but they were rather bland in comparison.

"Didn't you mention once you usually get knocked out for months, or years after this kinda stuff, though?" Henshoku raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Mimi whose only response was a haphazard shrug. She rolled her eyes. "I swear, if I didn't know better I'd think you're some huntsman in over their head." Mimi chuckled as Henshoku gave a sigh. As they continued on Mimi felt apprehension coming from Henshoku. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Henshoku had slowed down, and was staring vacantly at the center of the road. Mimi followed her gaze, but there was nothing there other than horse, car, and foot traffic. Returning to Henshoku, Mimi saw a mix of anxiety, fear, and anger begin wafting off her companion. She reached out a hand, and tapped Henshoku on the shoulder which caused her to jump slightly as she came out of her trance. "Huh?"

" _Is this where it happened?_ " After Henshoku finished reading her eyes fell to the ground, and she turned back around towards the road. She took a few deep breaths before finally speaking.

"It was also sunny that day." Her voice was a whisper, but Mimi's enhanced senses caught Henshoku's words. "There's a park three blocks down the next side street that we were going to have dinner at. Picnics were my favorite thing to do. It's hard to do it outside the walls since you're always on alert for Grimm, but here we were safe to live carelessly…" Her eyes slightly narrowed, and her gaze became vacant once more. "…To live carelessly…" Mimi felt a bit bad for it, but the emotions Henshoku was giving off were rather **delicious**. No matter how hard she told herself, or tried to fight it there was a truth she would never be able to rid herself of; Grimm were creatures of destruction, and death. While she could potentially sustain herself off powerful positive emotions deep down she knew that was only because of the human soul she carried within her. A freak even among monsters. And, even then, nothing could beat the taste of a person in despair. She remained quiet as Henshoku collected herself; silently drinking in the emotions that the Faunus was producing. "…Say," she broke the silence, "Did you ever have a place you enjoyed? Felt at peace?" Mimi stood silent as her mind wandered back over the decades. Eventually, she handed Henshoku a note.

" _Back when I was growing up in Vacuo there was an oasis just outside my village. It was in a crater surrounded by dunes so no sound really got to it giving a nice, quiet place to think, or just enjoy the day under the tree with your feet in the water._ " Henshoku looked over at Mimi, and gave a chuckle. Mimi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Sorry, it's just that I forget sometimes you aren't actually eighteen. Seeing someone with your looks writing 'back when I was growing up' was kinda funny." Mimi also cracked a smile as she looked at a store window, and her reflection. Anyone looking would think she was an average young adult deer Faunus. Mimi gave a sigh. After a few more minutes, Henshoku finally broke her gaze from the street, and forced herself to walk away with Mimi following suit.

Helmsword's ports were rather vast as the town is actually on a bay leading back into the ocean. The docks stretch around encompassing the entire bay into one massive dock with various ports, and shipyards. The southern half of the docks was owned mainly by private business owners, and corporations leaving the northern half to be for civilian use. It was within the warehouses of the southern docks that the Dēmonburēdo made their home spending a great sum, and breaking a lot of bones, on a line of two warehouses just off from a dock. "They'll see you coming."

 _Yeah, probably._ The Dēmonburēdo's warehouses were on the southern most edge of the bay, and the only way through was along the main road that ran along the waterline. It being a primarily commercial sector meant a lone civilian would stick out like a sore thumb; not to mention the fact that she was an armed Faunus where her kind were usually heavily supervised just for holding tools, or operating machines. _My kind._ Mimi snorted as that thought crossed her mind. Technically speaking, she was a human with antlers from a Grimm mutation. Kind of. _I still don't even know what I fully am anymore._ She sighed in frustration as she continued to walk. When they reached the entrance to the docks proper Henshoku stopped, and turned to face Mimi.

"You're really going to do it?" Henshoku's voice betrayed her surprise.

" _I said I would, didn't I?_ "

"Yes, but…" she bit her lip, and dropped Mimi's gaze, "I…honestly didn't think you'd go this far for me."

 _So that's what it was._ Mimi chuckled to herself as she wrote.

" _I can't exactly just leave them be. They'll come for your inn again, and they'll send more people next time with who knows what kind of weapons. I'd rather not leave that kind of potential danger festering._ " Henshoku read the note, and gripped it tightly to her chest. Mimi knew Henshoku had no intention of joining her in fighting the Dēmonburēdo; she'd left her rifle in the cart after all. Henshoku knew she would just be a liability, and slow Mimi down, so she was testing to see how far Mimi would actually be willing to go, and wanted to see it for herself.

"I know it's a bit much considering I'm asking you to go against thugs armed with military hardware…but," she looked back up at Mimi with tired eyes, "Can you promise me you'll come back alive?" Mimi's soft smile flinch.

 _A promise…?_ This time, Mimi dropped Henshoku's gaze as she thought back to all the promises she'd made over her life, and how they'd turned out. Solemnly, she wrote.

" _I have a bad streak of getting caught up in things, and breaking my promises._ "

"Well," Henshoku spoke with a defiance in her voice, "Then don't promise. Just know that that doesn't mean you're allowed to die." A laugh escaped Mimi as Henshoku held a forced smile on her face.

" _I have no plans on dying._ " She handed Henshoku the note, and began walking down the road looking back to give one final wave. Henshoku gripped the note tightly, and did her best to steady her shaky breaths.


	92. Knock Knock

_I wonder how hard it'll be to actually find their base._ Mimi strolled down the road along the water as she passed warehouse, after warehouse. She could feel eyes watching her, though she knew they were just dockhands wondering what a huntress was doing wandering around by herself. Most of the workers she saw doing the heavy manual labor were Faunus that were being supervised by a human. _I guess some Faunus have increased strength thanks to their animal side, but…_ A cat Faunus was struggling to move a rather large box by hand, and the supervisor was yelling at them about being lazy. _Cats are agile, not strong. 'Guess basic understanding of animal stereotypes takes a back seat here._ Moving on, Mimi's mind started to wander into the possibilities of what to do when she found the Dēmonburēdo. _I could just_ _ **kill them**_ _to be done with it, but I'm masquerading as a huntress so I don't think I'm supposed to do that._ She scratched her chin. _Do huntsman kill people? Grimm are no problem, but what about…like…a thug with a knife? Or a gun?_ There was a stray can on the road, and Mimi started kicking it as she walked. _It's probably linked to the threat. But, what I consider a threat, and what a normal huntsman considers a threat are leagues apart from each other._ The can was kicked into the water. _If there's a reasonable threat I'll start killing. Now, if only I could…_ Mimi was looking around for a new can to kick when her eyes were drawn to a warehouse ahead of her, and the people outside it along with their matching jackets. _…Huh._ As she got closer she could make out the Dēmonburēdo symbol on the backs of the jackets. There was a decently sized group standing around outside the closest warehouse, and a few others next to the one next to it.

"Oi!" one of the Dēmonburēdo thugs shouted as he saw Mimi approaching. "You lost or something, freak?"

 _Yeah…This is definitely the place._ There was a stream of arrogance running through the air around the warehouse that told Mimi the place was full. Arrogance was a weird emotion as while it tasted alright it actually made a Grimm hungrier. Arrogance was also a sign of a delicious meal for the one who could shatter the egotistical person's world which would produce an **exquisite** taste that was also very filling.

"Is it a huntsman?"

"Didn't know they armed animals."

"Shoo," the closest thug waved his hand back towards town, "This ain't no place for animals to be traveling without their master." The others started snickering among themselves seemingly quite proud of their compatriot's joke. Mimi just rolled her eyes, and handed him a piece of paper. "What's this?"

" _One Pass To: See upper management about a complaint._ " The thug blinked a few times in confusion, and then gave Mimi a baffled look.

"Are…Are you serious?" Mimi nodded. This confused the thug further, and he reread the note. Turning to his companions he showed them the note, "Do we do things like this?"

"Wh-NO!" One of his compatriots snapped, and tore the note in half. "It obviously wrote that, you dolt. Of course we don't just let people meet the boss because they have a stupid note!"

"O-Oh…"

 _Is this…_ _ **seriously**_ _what I'm up against?_ Now, Mimi was the one raising an eyebrow in confusion as she watched the 'leader' of the group continue to lecture the one who'd originally taken the note.

"Look," the leader addressed Mimi, "You're a huntsman, right?" Mimi nodded. "You come from Haven?" Mimi shook her head. "Good. Boys, observe." In a single motion the leader drew a pistol from his hip, leveled it to Mimi's face, and fired. However, his nonchalant attitude began shifting to one of fear as Mimi stood her ground. The bullet had shattered upon impact with Mimi's cheek, but there was no sign of it having caused any damage aside from dirtying her cheek with the powdered remains of the bullet. Mimi didn't even flinch. "Uh…Uh…" Calmly, Mimi brushed the metal from her cheek, and then wiped her hand on the leader's jacket. "Uh…HEY-!" He tried to protest, but Mimi grabbed him by the jacket, spun on her heels yanking the man off his feet, and threw him across the street, and crashing into a forklift parked nearby. His aura faltered for a moment as the force of his body hitting the forklift nearly split the machine in half. Mimi sniffed the air.

 _Yup, still alive._ The other thugs had their jaws hanging open as they looked from their leader to Mimi. Mimi took out her journal, re-wrote the same note, tore it out of the journal, and handed it to the closest thug. He looked at the note, looked at Mimi, looked at his companion embedded in a forklift, and started leading Mimi inside. Everyone who was outside also started making their way inside the warehouse. Unease, and fear started to permeate the air. Whispers started snaking their way through the warehouse as Mimi continued further in. She noted there were thugs on the cat walks holding assault rifles, and were glaring down at her. Disgust, and hate also started making themselves known as more Dēmonburēdo members took note of Mimi's presence. Mimi didn't care, though, as the added negative emotions only worked to her advantage. Eventually, someone important took notice.

"And, what do you think you're doing?" Looking up, Mimi saw Buchineko standing on the roof of what looked like an interior office building probably used for upper staff meetings. "Why did you bring a civilian inside? Let alone a Faunus?"

"W-Well, Ma'am, she kinda threw Cobalt through a forklift."

 _Cobalt?_ Mimi was visibly stunned for a moment. _That's just a rock!_ She mulled it over in her head for a bit. _I mean…I guess it's a shade of blue, but I think of the rock first; that guy did fly like one, so I'll stick with rock._

"Oh?" Buchineko looked past the thug finally noticing Mimi. "Oh. You." A venom dripped from her voice when she realized who it was. Mimi gave a single wave, and stepped forward. "Well, you've certainly saved me the trouble of putting a bounty on you as now I can just kill you…speaking of." Her eyes darted to the thug next to Mimi. "Why doesn't she have a bullet through her head yet?"

"Well…You see…" the man started fidgeting nervously much to Buchineko's displeasure, "We kinda…already…tried that." The entire warehouse fell into silence. Buchineko's face was a mix of shock, confusion, and disgust as she attempted to process what she had just heard.

"You…tri-." She looked over at the very much still standing Mimi. "Did you just miss?"

"No…the bullet didn't pierce. It just kinda…disintegrated." Buchineko's mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Slowly, she closed her mouth as a sigh escaped her lungs.

"Did you see her aura go down?" she asked through grit teeth.

"No?"

"Then there's your answer as to why it didn't work!" Buchineko made a hand gesture towards the catwalks, and the thugs above Mimi leveled their rifles. "Huntsman are trained to develop, and strengthen their auras for battle against Grimm. One bullet might not do the trick. Ever think of that?" The thugs around Mimi shook their heads, and all quickly gave Mimi a wide berth. Mimi sniffed the air a few times before giving a satisfied grunt, and she stood her ground. Killing intent, and hate was filling the air, so she knew what would happen next. For once, Mimi was glad to look like a Faunus. "Not going to run?" Buchineko called from her vantage point. She cocked an eyebrow as Mimi continued to stand there motionless, and seemingly not caring about all the guns pointing at her. Mimi shrugged, and she swore she saw Buchineko visibly twitch with anger. The woman's voice was low as she spoke, "Alright then…" Mimi raised her hand to her forehead as if shielding the sun from her eyes. Buchineko exploded with anger, "WIPE THIS STAIN FROM THE FACE OF REMNANT, BOYS!" She extended her arm out towards Mimi, and the warehouse's silence was shattered as multiple assault rifles roared to life. Shell casings rained down from the catwalks as bullets continued to pour onto Mimi's position. Buchineko held a demented smile as the entire warehouse was lit up from all the gun fire. It only lasted a few seconds, but felt like an eternity before the last bullet was fired, and the final gun clicked empty. As the smoke started to clear Buchineko's face, as well as all the faces of those present, went from arrogant smiles to horrified frowns. The floor was a complete mess from all the bullets, but the one standing in the middle of it looked completely fine.

 _And this, boys & girls, is why you use dust tipped ammunition._ Mimi had been caught off guard one too many times by the lethality of dust tipped rounds, or dust infused blade edges in the past, and had experienced it so many times that she was able to tell if a weapon was loaded with dust based on her acute sense of smell. While all guns used dust as a propellant for their bullets the dust on a dust tipped round had a distinct smell compared to the dust combination propellant powder. This difference in smell is indistinguishable to the average person. And, Mimi's Grimm body had been strengthened by so many years of battle that if a round wasn't tipped with dust it was almost completely harmless to her. She still felt it, but it was akin to being gently poked with a wooden stick. Mimi brushed the bits of plain metal off her shoulder, and ran her fingers through her hair a few times before she was satisfied she'd gotten most of the metal out. She reached over her shoulder with her right hand, and grabbed Kinderträumen's shaft. _Time for some exercise._


	93. Demonic Blitz

Everyone in the warehouse was stunned as Mimi started stretching her arms while effortlessly twirling Kinderträumen between her fingers. Even Buchineko remained silent as her brain tried to process what it was seeing. Finally, words managed to escape her throat, "…No…" Mimi looked up at her, and cocked an eyebrow. "Do not…FUCK with me!" She drew her own pistol from the holster at her waist, and started firing down on Mimi. However, her pistol was also only filled with regular ammunition, so the bullets harmlessly disintegrated against Mimi's skin. Dust tipped rounds, while extremely effective against pretty much anything, were some of the most expensive kinds of rounds you could purchase due to the delicate, and dangerous work it took to create. There was also the rationing to consider as dust tipped rounds were usually snatched up by militaries for their soldiers, or by the huntsman academies who would sell it to their huntsman at a discounted price.

 _Oh well._ Mimi gave a sigh as another bullet disintegrated against her. _I was kinda hoping for at least some kind of challenge, but it looks like it's mainly going to be cleanup._ She heard the thugs on the catwalk above her reloading their assault rifles. _Eh, maybe I can have a little bit of fun._ A mischievous grin crept onto Mimi's face.

"Damnable anim-." a thug was saying as he finished reloading, and leveled his rifle down at where Mimi was supposed to be, but stopped when he saw she wasn't there anymore. The startled noise of his friend next to him caused him to look up to find that Mimi had used Kinderträumen to leap into the air, and was looking him dead in the eyes. "What the-!" Mimi cut him off by activating Kinderträumen again causing her to go into a deadly spin. Kinderträumen's blade slammed into the catwalk causing the metal poles that held it up bolted to the ceiling to fail giving off a loud metal screaming as the catwalk buckled under the impact, and lose of support. The thugs who were on the catwalk fell to the warehouse floor with hard thuds followed by a crash as the catwalk finally landed.

"Shoot it! FUCKING SHOOT IT!" Gunfire once more filled the warehouse as desperate thugs tried to take out the Faunus huntsman. Fear flooded the air, and Mimi couldn't help but shudder with ecstasy as it had been some time since she had last tasted such a **delightful** aroma.

 _Ooooh~_ _ **yeah!**_ She turned towards a group of Dēmonburēdo who had bunched up into a sort of firing line. _It's been_ _ **far too long~**_ _._ Hunting Grimm, while filling, was never as enjoyable as **hearing the screams of dead men walking**. Bullets continued to bounce off Mimi as she dove towards them in a deadly spinning attack. The assault rifles were cleanly cleaved in two by Kinderträumen's blade as Mimi halted her advance directly in front of the group. Continuing into the swing, Kinderträumen's thrusters roared to life as Mimi held down the trigger. Auras shattered as the glaive easily tore through them. One of the thugs face had a deep gash, and another lost his left arm. Their screams only sent an excited shiver down Mimi's spine as she spun into a kick that sent the men flying. With a shaky hand Mimi grabbed her face, and tried to calm her breathing. _**Calm down…**_ _no killing…_ Her fingers ran through her hair as she straightened herself up. _Not until there's a reasonable threat._ She felt something start poking her back, and turned around to see Buchineko firing her pistol at her. Mimi turned to fully face her, and cocked an eyebrow. Seeing how fruitless it was, Buchineko angrily tossed the pistol aside, and drew her kunai.

"You." venom dripped from her voice as she glared daggers at Mimi. "I always knew you Faunus were _freaks_ , but this is ridiculous." Her stance shifted into a ready position, and her hands tightened their grips on the kunai. "Just what in the _FUCK_ are you?" Mimi's eyes flashed red, and Kinderträumen dispersed into black smoke. She brought up both her hands into a shrug. "I said DON'T FUCK WITH ME!" With blinding speed Buchineko sent two kunai flying towards Mimi. Matching her speed, Mimi materialized, and threw two of her own kunai that deflected Buchineko's mid-air. Buchineko twitched as she was once again caught off guard by Mimi's abilities. But, when Mimi went into the exact same stance she was in, something inside Buchineko snapped. Cold fury radiated from the woman as she dove forward with more kunai drawn. Mimi grinned, and also charged forward with two more kunai materialized. Once in melee range the two started going at it with blinding speed. None of the thugs dared to try, and get a shot in for fear of hitting Buchineko. That, and they were also stunned watching to two women battle in a blur of motion. However, what the thugs couldn't see was that the blurs were actually the exact same. Every strike Buchineko tried to do was matched perfectly by Mimi. Every step, no matter how slight, was mimicked. It was a perfect mirror match. A mirror match that Mimi was in no rush to finish. The anger pouring out of Buchineko was so **delicious** that she'd be full for at least a week, or two before she'd even start thinking about going hunting. Buchineko's kunai also didn't have dust tipped edges on them. While they were still extremely sharp, they only did minor chip damage to Mimi's kunai which would passively repair themselves mid-fight.

 _Come on!_ Mimi's grin widened as the two continued to match blows. _Come on! I_ _ **know you can do better!**_ Mimi's blows started hitting harder causing Buchineko to start faltering in her defense. Not wanting to be beat by a Faunus, she grit her teeth, and held. _Come on!_ _ **Come on!**_ Mimi's speed began increasing further cracking Buchineko's defense. Anger was starting to give way to fear as Buchineko realized she was losing. _**GIVE ME A FUCKING FIGHT!**_ Buchineko brought up her kunai to deflect the blow, but even with her all Buchineko's strength was nowhere near Mimi's; especially when she went all out. Buchineko's kunai shattered, and Mimi's fist connected with her face. The force sent her flying across the floor to crash through a shipping container. As she lay motionless on the floor a sheen of black could be seen wash over Buchineko as her aura gave out. Silence took hold of the warehouse as all the thugs were completely stunned at Buchineko's defeat. Mimi breathed in a deep breath, and slowly let it out in a frustrated sigh. _**Uuugh…**_ Her combat high started wearing off, and she recomposed herself. _These are just criminals…asking for a_ _ **good**_ _fight is a bit much._ The kunai dematerialized from her hands as she tossed them aside. _Well, time to clean…up?_ As Mimi turned towards the crowd of thugs she felt a trembling in the ground. Cocking an eyebrow, she knelt down, and put her hand to the floor. The vibrations started getting stronger. _What the…?_ There was a noise that started making itself known coming from outside that sent a shiver down Mimi's spine as the noise brought her mind back in time to decades past. Once more, Mimi found herself on the desert dunes outside the Vacuo dust mines during the final battle of the Great War. She knew that sound, as she had heard it then, too. Blinking, Mimi was back in the warehouse. Standing up, Mimi turned towards the warehouse's loading bay door which the sound seemed to be approaching. Even the Dēmonburēdo members turned towards the door, and started clearing the floor. One of the thugs ran over to the door's control panel, and hit a button. The large loading bay door slowly started to rattle open. But, as the door was only two feet open, a giant metal hand reached under, and forced the door up. A shadow was cast along the floor as the sun's light was almost fully blotted out. The giant entered the warehouse; its footsteps shaking the very ground as it slowly approached. With a loud 'ker-chunk' the massive cannon that was attached to its arm loaded a shell, and the visor on its head pulsed with a red light as the camera's adapted to the new light level. Mimi once more found herself staring up at the might of Atlas as the mech towered over her. _Oh…look…_ _ **a reasonable threat!**_


	94. Keeper of Their Faith

The Atlesian mech loomed over Mimi; the red light behind its visor darting back, and forth as it scanned the room. Sniffing the air, Mimi picked up the scent of arrogance from the mech. _So, it's like those Squires from the war; it has a pilot._ Kinderträumen materialized in Mimi's hand, and she took an aggressive stance as she sized up the mech. While the Squire-45 could dwarf a person this new mech was more than twice the size, and could hold Mimi's entire torso in a single hand. Speaking of, the mech only had a hand on its right arm as the left arm below the elbow was replaced to be a mount for a massive cannon. The mech came to a halt when it reached the center of the warehouse, and a speaker system inside it crackled to life.

"Well, well, well. I'd heard you boys were slacking, but I didn't think you'd get Buchineko in on the slouching." The upper body of the mech turned towards the shipping container where Buchineko was lying still unconscious. "Someone get her, and splash some water in her face." A group of men ran over, picked up Buchineko as gently as they could, and ran outside. Slowly, the mech turned to face Mimi; the red light behind its visor pulsed, and looked at her. "So, you're the Faunus that's come to our door looking for a fight?" Mimi could hear a curiosity in the pilot's voice as he was probably sizing her up. After a few seconds of silence the pilot spoke. "Not much of a talker, eh?" Mimi narrowed her eyes, and shook her head. "Eh, that's fine, too. I'm sure I'll get to hear your voice as I crush your bones in my hand. But, first…" The pilot cleared his throat, took in a deep breath, and then shouted so loudly Mimi could hear him through the mech he was piloting even without the speakers enhancing his voice. "DĒMONBURĒDO! Lend me your ears!" Mimi flinched at the volume he was shouting, but saw that every Dēmonburēdo member barely reacted. In fact, they did as the voice said, and turned their attention to the mech with looks of admiration. "Some of you were around when I first started this clan; OUR clan! And, I did my best as your leader to bring us glory in its name; OUR name!"

 _Is this guy…_ _ **seriously**_ _monologuing at me?_ Mimi started getting flashbacks to her fight with Fox even more than before. As she shook off the déjà vu, Mimi noticed that hope was starting to mount in the air from the Dēmonburēdo members around her. _Wait…Is he…?_

"As your leader I hold the values of our clan as an example to you all. WE do not bend the knee! WE do not cower from our foes!" The hope in the air was thickening, and Mimi swore she saw one of the thugs tearing up.

… _No…_

"This _Faunus_ has come to OUR home in search of battle! While, I do not know how Buchineko, or the rest of you were defeated I do know that, as your leader, it is my duty to stand when you cannot!" Smiles started appearing on the Dēmonburēdo member's faces, and a cheer started going around.

 _Don't you dare-!_

"SO! Lend me your courage! Lend me your hearts! Lend me your resolve, and I shall answer you with my roar!" The mech's fist raised into the air. "I am Akuma, Lord of the Dēmonburēdo! And, we BOW to no one!" The gathered members exploded into cheers! Mimi activated the thrusters on Kinderträumen, and shot towards the mech.

 _You will not beat me with the power of_ _ **FUCKING FRIENDSHIP!**_ The glaive was trained on where Mimi assumed Akuma was piloting the mech from based on the outflow of emotions. But, Atlesian tech was something to behold, and the raised fist shot downwards to block the attack. Kinderträumen's blade just scratched the outer armor. Mimi's eyes widened in surprise as her attack failed, and Akuma retaliated by swinging the arm outward batting Mimi aside. She sailed through the air before crashing into the warehouse's wall leaving cracks in the stone from her impact. _This…isn't…happening…_

"Hmm, quite resilient aren't you?" Akuma taunted from inside the mech, and brought the right arm up to the visor so the cameras could inspect the scratch. "But, then again, so is this Paladin-145 it would seem." Mimi fell to the floor, and landed in a kneeling position.

 _Where…in this_ _ **fucked**_ _ **up**_ _world…did you shits steal a_ _ **fucking**_ _mech from?!_ She shot Akuma a glare, and rose to her feet.

"Tough in both body, and mind?" A chuckled could be heard over the speakers. "You know, if you weren't a filthy Faunus I mighta liked you, huntress. But, as things are, I'll stick with crushing you." The Paladin lurched forwards into a sprint. Mimi brought Kinderträumen up to block hoping to deflect the blow, and gain an advantage. However, she underestimated the Paladin-145's raw strength, and when the mech's fist collided with Kinderträumen Mimi felt a shock-wave go through her body from the impact. Her knees almost buckled, but she powered through it. The concrete ground at Mimi's feet cracked as she was forced a solid inch into the ground. Through grit teeth Mimi held her ground, and was about to start pushing back, but felt the fist retract, and the weight it was putting on her lifted. Confused, Mimi looked up at the mech to see what it was doing, but only found a mechanized foot colliding into her that sent her through the warehouse's wall. Workers who were outside had started to gather around at all the commotion, and gave surprised shouts when Mimi was sent flying through the wall. She bounced off the ground a few times before Mimi dug Kinderträumen into the ground to stop, and reorient herself.

 _Uggh…Now I remember why I hated fighting Fox._ Mimi popped her shoulder, and stood up. The Paladin broke through the weakened wall like it was nothing as it marched outside to follow Mimi. The normal dock workers gave terrified shouts, and started running at the sight of the mech. Mimi breathed in deeply to take in the new terror that started to build. The soreness from getting kicked through a wall was already numbed, and a quick stretch of her back told her nothing was permanently damaged.

"My, my." Mimi turned her attention towards Akuma as he spoke. "I don't think I've ever met a huntsman as resilient as you. Normally, I'd think they'd by sprawled out on the ground with their aura barely hanging after an attack like that. But, not you." Even though she couldn't see his face, Mimi could tell Akuma was irritated because of the malice that started leaking out of the mech. "I don't know what Buchineko did to piss off someone like you, but you wouldn't be the first huntsman I've put into the ground, and you won't be the last!"

 _Yeah, yeah, I've heard this speech before!_ Mimi grabbed Kinderträumen, and rushed forward using her enhanced speed to close the gap quickly. The Paladin swung down at her, but missed; the fist cracked the ground it struck, and left an imprint of the fist in the concrete. Kinderträumen's thrusters roared to life as Mimi went into a deadly spin that was aimed at the mech's ankle joints; she recalled the joints were the weak spot of the Squire-45, and it looked to be the same with this new model. For the most part she was right. Kinderträumen cut much deeper into the ankle joint than the armored forearm, but was quickly reminded that while she did manage to slice through it a mech doesn't feel, or react to pain. Akuma spun the upper body around slamming an opened hand into Mimi that quickly closed around her.

"Now, now, we can't be having any of that!" The fist tightened around Mimi, but the hydraulics started scream as they were having trouble keeping closed as Mimi tried to break free. "Oi! I said: none of that!" Akuma brought the hand into the air before slamming the fist down into the ground. The impact forced the hand to close further, and Mimi felt the wind get knocked out of her.

 _You little-!_ She couldn't finish her thought as Akuma, again, brought the fist up only to slam it back down into the ground.

"Hmm, still no aura break?" Akuma mused to himself. "Oh well, how about this, then?" The upper body spun a few times before launching Mimi across the open yard, and crashing through two stacks of shipping containers. The containers crashed to the ground as they fell, and Mimi's body broke through one before stopping inside. Mimi groaned as she sorely sat up, and looked out at the Paladin from the hole she'd made through the container. The Paladin leveled its cannon at Mimi, and fired a single round at Mimi.

 _SHIT!_ Focusing all her energy on her agility, Mimi leapt blindly forward out of the container as the dust infused round sailed past her. Upon contact with the container the round exploded in a massive fireball whose shock-wave rocked the entire south side of the bay. A concerned Henshoku gripped the cloak tighter around her body as she, and the other townsfolk at the dock's entrance looked on with concern at the rising plume of smoke coming from the southern docks.

"HAHAHA! FUCK YEAH!" Akuma was ecstatic from inside the cockpit of the Paladin as bits of shredded metal fell from the sky, and harmlessly bounced off the mech's chassis. He'd never actually had a chance to fire the Paladin's cannon before, or its high explosive round, but now that he did he was awestruck. "That's what I'm FUCKING talking about!" He sat back in the chair taking in the orange glow as whatever was inside some of the containers had lit off, and exploded along with the HE round causing a fire to start. His daydreaming was short lived, however, as a warning flashed on his display a second before half a shipping container sailed out of the flames towards him. Quickly grabbing the controls, Akuma was only able to bring the left arm up in time to block. The container slammed into the mech forcing it to take a step back to steady itself, and almost fall as its left ankle was no longer functional. Batting the wreckage away, Akuma turned the camera's focus towards the flaming mass of containers. Slowly, a figure emerged through the smoke as it walked through the flames into the open. Akuma was stunned as Mimi emerged from the flames with pitch black skin, bone white armor with red veins accenting it, and solid, glowing red eyes that pierced into his soul.


	95. Destroyer of Their Dreams

Mimi cracked her neck with a satisfying popping noise as she continued to stare down Akuma. _Man, it feels good not having to keep up the disguise._ For the most part, Mimi had gotten used to being in her shifted Faunus form, but it still was a slight drain on her energy. Not to mention that, while shifted, her physical abilities were limited. _I was hoping to finish this as a huntress, so as not to attract Ozpin, or Salem's attention, but I'll make an exception for giant mechs with cannon arms._ She started walking towards Akuma, and cracked her knuckles in anticipation. Akuma was stunned by Mimi's appearance, and his mind wandered back to something he'd heard the news talk about, but never paid much mind to.

"So…The mimic Grimm is real." His throat went dry, and he started licking his lips. Mimi's image was zoomed in on the central display inside the Paladin, and the computer tried its best to display any information it could on the target, but all it could find was 'Creature of Grimm', and 'Threat Level: Catastrophe' within its built in archives. Then, Akuma started nodding his head, and his grip tightened around the joysticks. "So, I get the honor of fighting a creature of legendary standard?" A wicked glint formed in his eyes as a smile erupted onto his face. "That's what I'm FUCKING talking about!" The Paladin's left arm jolted, and a 'ker-chunk' could be heard as another shell was loaded into the cannon. "Show me what passes for 'Catastrophe' among your kind, mimic!" Excitement was flooding out of the Paladin as Akuma fired another round at Mimi.

 _Great…Another insane person in a mech suit._ Now that her full power was unleashed she could easily keep up with the dust tipped round that raced at her. With a swift swing of her arm, Mimi materialized Kinderträumen, and batted the speeding round aside. It slammed into, and exploded the wall of the warehouse next to her. Not wanting to delay this too much longer as she knew the authorities would come to investigate sooner or later Mimi broke into a full sprint towards the Paladin. Akuma only had time to reload, and fire one more time, but because of Mimi's speed the round missed its target to harmlessly explode a good chunk of pavement. He tried to have the Paladin take a step back, but the ankle fully gave out causing the mech to stumble. Mimi took advantage of the pause, and leapt into the air. She lined up her path, and activated Kinderträumen's thrusters sending her into a deadly spiral towards the Paladin. The mech raised its left arm to block the attack causing Kinderträumen to become deeply embedded into the thick armor. _Not this time!_ Using her unleashed strength, and again activating Kinderträumen's thrusters, Mimi forced the glaive to complete the cut slicing the Paladin's forearm, and cannon in two. There was a brief pause as Mimi hung freely in the air before the dust round that had reloaded into the cannon, which also got sliced in half, went off causing an explosion that sent Mimi flying a few feet back, and forcing the Paladin to stumble back, and take a knee. Luckily for Akuma, Atlas seemed to have learned from its mistake with the Squire-45's ammo feeding system as none of the remaining rounds still inside the container on the Paladin's back cooked off. Alarms blared in Akuma's face as he fought to regain his composure after the explosion violently shook the cockpit.

"Come on! Come on!" He slapped his face as he pumped himself back up. "You can't fail; not here, not after all that work!" A flashing red light brought his attention back to the display monitor to see that Mimi had also regained her composure, and was charging him once more. "I won't lose!" The Paladin raised its right fist back, and threw the punch forward. Mimi, for whatever reason, decided to humor the attack. She tossed Kinderträumen aside, brought both her hands up, and caught the Paladin's fist. The attack forced Mimi's feet to dig into the pavement as she was forced back, but she stood her ground, and held the mech's fist tightly in both hands. Since her feet were already embedded into the ground Mimi used that leverage, and with her incredible strength forced the Paladin to fall over onto its right side. The ground shook as the mech fell. Akuma was wearing the pilot's harness so he remained in his seat, but the feeling of being on his side was disorienting. "Get up, you damned machine!" He fruitlessly moved the controls, and pressed buttons to try to force the Paladin to stand back up. Suddenly, the entire cockpit shook. The camera's in the head pulsed to life to find that Mimi was no longer standing by the fist, but was standing in front of the chest hatch that led to the cockpit. Akuma again tried moving the joysticks to get the arm to move, and swat her away, but Mimi had other plans.

 _Now, now, we can't be having that. I'm running low on time here._ Mimi grabbed the bicep section of the right arm, dug her claws into the metal, lined up her foot, and gave a mighty kick to the Paladin's torso. The battered joint connecting the arm to the body broke off with the sound of twisting metal, and wires sparked freely in the air as the Paladin's torso was sent skidding a few feet back. Once the cockpit stopped shaking Akuma spat at the screen that displayed Mimi.

"I. Will. Not. Lose!" The hydraulics that remained functional groaned as Akuma forced the Paladin to sit up on its knees. His arrogant voice boomed over the speaker system. "I am Akuma! Leader, and founder of the Dēmonburēdo!" Mimi rolled her eyes, and materialized Kinderträumen. "So long as air still fills my lungs I will not surrender! So long as their belief in me shines I will not falter! I-" His speech was cut short as Mimi sprinted forward, activated Kinderträumen's thrusters, and impaled through the Paladin's torso right through the cockpit. The glaive pierced through Akuma's aura, and straight through his chest. He slowly blinked as his mind caught up with what had happened to his body. His mouth opened, but no words came out; only a coughing fit of blood. Mimi stood still outside with her hands still wrapped around Kinderträumen's hilt as she drank in the last moments of Akuma's life. Once the flow of pain had stopped Mimi dematerialized Kinderträumen, and took a few steps back. The Paladin was completely ruined, and sat on its knees in defeat among the broken ground that was once a dock yard. Mimi gave a sigh, and black mist enveloped her.

 _And, my job is done._ As the mist dispersed she was back to her Faunus form. Luckily for her, the only ones who were still around actively watching were Dēmonburēdo members, but their spirits were crushed the moment their leader fell silent, and weren't paying her any heed. Her ear twitched as she heard sirens approaching from the distance. _I'll let the police deal with the remaining goons, and leave them with the bill._ Mimi survayed the destruction one last time. _They aren't bribing their way outta this one._ Turning on her heels, Mimi sprinted away deeper south into the dockyard to go around the approaching police, and make her way back to the city.

* * *

Henshoku was sitting on a bench with her hands clenched together in apprehension. It seemed like the entirety of Helmsword's police force was converging onto the southern docks. The explosions had stopped, but the unease was killing her. Her thoughts turned bitter as another police car whizzed past. Had this city claimed another important person to her? _I really_ _ **hate**_ _this place._ She cast her gaze down to the ground, and her eyes narrowed in disdain. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her. Only when a shadow cast itself over her did Henshoku finally notice the person standing in front of them. Expecting it to be some passer by wanting to know if she knew what was going on Henshoku looked up, and gave the person an annoyed look. An annoyed look that immediately melted away into one of surprise as Mimi grinned down at her. Henshoku leapt to her feet, and jumped Mimi into a tight hug. Mimi chuckled, and returned the hug. Sensing that Henshoku didn't want to let go Mimi tapped her on the back to indicate that they should go. Henshoku pulled the hood down to cover her face as she broke off the hug, but Mimi could see the extremely happy emotions that were radiating from the young Faunus despite how she tried to hide it. The trip back to the Drunken Dragon was quiet, but that was alright as Mimi's ears were still ringing from all the explosions, and was more than willing to take some R&R.


	96. Instigation Via Association

"Continuing on with a story from a few days ago; the 'Dēmonburēdo'-"

"What a name."

"I know, right? Anyway. The remaining Dēmonburēdo leaders who were taken into custody just a few days ago after an unknown huntress attack on their base will be going on trial by the end of the week. The relatively new gang is being faced with numerous charges with just a few being; multiple illegal weapons charges, destruction of private property, and public endangerment."

"Is attempted murder on there? Cause I know the huntress that brought them down fought what I can only describe as a 'giant mech'."

"Yup, that's definitely on here. Said 'giant mech' was apparently an extremely early prototype of the latest Atlesian Paladin series of mechs. They aren't expected to go into service for a few more years leading many to question how some random gang managed to get their hands on one?"

"Or, how they even got it into Helmsword with, apparently, NO ONE raising any eyebrows at it? Like, at all?"

"Right. Since the investigation is still ongoing we'll most likely have to wait for the official trial to learn anything new as things are still very hush-hush."

"Anything in there about the huntress that started all this?"

"Uhh…Doesn't look like it. They're keeping her nameless it seems, though some of the people we talked to said they saw a Faunus huntress heading towards the direction of where the incident occurred, but no concrete details. Switching gears here we-" Amber turned the knob on the car's radio switching to a station playing music. She knew the Helmsword incident was caused by the mimic, and she desperately wanted to go after it, but she had a breakthrough. She'd found Frost's estate. It wasn't easy as the whole property was off many public records, but after a few phone calls, and begrudgingly with the mysterious man she'd met at the library's help she had a location. Though she looked stoic Amber's heart was racing. The mimic Grimm wanted this man, and his comrades dead, and was willing to slaughter their way across Remnant to do so. She had her entire life turned upside-down, and spent decades chasing the mimic. And, now, she would reach the mimic's goal before it. Security wouldn't willingly let her in, and she already knew that. There were many things racing through her mind. Many questions she wanted answered. But, the greatest one of them…

* * *

"Why?" Amber sat in the chair facing Frost in the library. "Why does the mimic Grimm want you dead?" Frost leaned back in his wheelchair, and took in a long breath from his oxygen tank as he thought. After licking his lips he spoke.

"I don't know."

"…Eh?" Amber visibly twitched. "B-…But, you're in hiding in this safe house to get away from the mimic!"

"No," Frost shook his head, "I'm hiding in this safe house because I'm a war criminal in exile." He moved his wheelchair over to the large table, and closed some of the books. "Though, last I checked they didn't give exiles homes in the kingdom they were exiled from, or come to them for military advisement in times of need. But, that's how Mistral chose to handle things." Once he finished with the books he turned his chair towards a very confused looking Amber. "I only learned of the mimic's existence after receiving several direct messages from Shiro. I started to try, and look into it only to find the clear signs of Ozpin's tampering." He gave a cynical chuckle. "That damnable fool will get us all killed one day if he keeps up."

"Who is Ozpin?" Amber spoke abruptly, and Frost's eyes narrowed. "Van Grimmig also mentioned that name a few times, but never elaborated."

"Ah…Right. I had Van Grimmig look into things on his end after a while of me getting stuck since I'm forced to stay within these walls." Frost rubbed his chin. "The man came to me as the headmaster of Beacon academy…but…What I didn't know at the time was that I'd met with not a man, but a devil that day." His gaze was cast to the side, and his expression was vacant as he continued. "He tried to recruit me, use my military knowledge, in his war against a 'terrible evil that threatens Remnant', or so he put it."

"And, you didn't believe him?"

"Not at first, but then he started filling in the blanks about the mimic. He gave me details that no man would know unless they'd personally been there. The previous headmaster of Beacon didn't fight in the Great War, so he couldn't have known these details. But, the first would have…"

"The first?"

"The first headmaster, and last king of Vale." Silence fell upon the room. Amber blinked in confusion as she tried to process what she was hearing.

"So…what? The previous headmaster of Beacon was also the last king of Vale?" Amber shook her head. "That's impossible."

"Normally, yes."

"Nor-…" Amber paused, and her eyes narrowed, "Revival?"

"Of a sort." Frost's attention was again drawn to Amber as she sharply rose from her seat. The revolvers on her heels could detach, and she took one in hand, and aimed it at Frost.

"You're seriously going to sit there, and tell me that this 'Ozpin' is using fucking magic to revive himself?" She laughed at her own words. "Or, that he's part of some power conspiracy against the 'forces of evil'?"

"Yes." Frost's answer was clear, and concise which caused Amber to pause. Slowly, she lowered her pistol. "Are you going to stand there, and tell me you found me on your own when not even the mimic, who's been hunting me for longer than you've been alive, couldn't?" A lump formed in Amber's throat, and her heart stopped for a second. Frost nodded. "There are forces at work in Remnant that are far beyond what you, or I could even imagine, Mrs. Solst. You? Me? The mimic? Everyone on Remnant? We're pawns on a chessboard playing our parts. And, quite frankly," he checked the clock that stood in the corner of the room, "I'd like to take my exit from this fairytale." With a shaky hand, Frost reached over the side of his wheelchair, and started turning the cranks on his oxygen tank. Amber spoke in a low voice.

"You're-"

"Deciding my own fate." With one final turn the valve was shut, and Frost let out a sigh. "I'd rather die by my own hands than to those of a puppet." Amber dropped her gaze to the floor at Frost's jab at her. "That said; it's never too late...for a puppet...to cut her strings." Amber's eyes widened, and she looked back to Frost to see him give her a single nod. His chest rose, and fall one final time. The room, once more, filled with silence. Only the oppressive ticking of the clock filled the void as Amber stood in contemplation.

She whispered to herself, "Cut my strings…" She lifted the revolver in her hand, and inspected it. As her mind was made, her fist tightened, and she reattached the revolver to her boot. Amber strode through the estate with newfound purpose as she made her way to the exit. The large metal fence gate still hung open where she'd left it, and she stopped just before she would exit through it. Closing her eyes, Amber took in a deep breath. The world was larger, and far more dangerous than she could have imagined, but she still stood. She had a relatively good idea of where the mimic was thanks to the news reports, and her memory of what a certain bird Faunus had said. That said, there was still one more thing she had to deal with before reaching the mimic. She exhaled. "You're not with Ozpin." Amber opened her eyes to see the mysterious man standing in the road. A neutral, chilling smile sat across his face as the glowing red eyes in the bushes stared hungrily back at her.


	97. I Had Strings

"Ozpin~?" Instigator's voice dripped with a venom that sent a chill down Amber's spine. She could hear Instigator's leather gloves squeak as his hands clenched into fists. "That is a…rather foul name, Mrs. Solst." Though spring had brought warmer weathers to Mistral there was a chill that permeated the air around Instigator. The glowing red eyes in the bushes seemed to get antsy at Instigator's deteriorating mood. "A foul name that…as I recall…isn't part of our contract." He chuckled to himself. "Am I to take that statement as you nulling our agreement? Even after all the help I provided?" A lump formed in Amber's throat, but she swallowed, and found her voice.

"Circumstances have changed now that I have new information." Her eyes narrowed, and she dug her left heel into the ground. "I refuse to continue being your puppet."

"So, what, you'll go to Ozpin now?" Instigator couldn't help but laugh. "You claim to not want to be a puppet, so you go to the puppet master himself?"

"No." Instigator raised an eyebrow at the firmness in Amber's voice. "While I'm sure there are things I still don't know, or fully understand, that doesn't mean I can't forge my own path." Leaves rustled in the wind that swept its way through the forest. Instigator closed his eyes to seemingly ponder Amber's words. More eyes appeared in the bushes.

"Insolence." Instigator spoke in a low, almost sorrowful voice. His eyes opened, and looked at Amber with pity. "You think you are in control? That you have choice?" Instigator's arms stretched out to his sides gesturing at the world around him. "This…world…the people, and kingdoms who call it home…even the very history we teach our future generations was crafted by Ozpin. Even before the Great War he placed himself in key positions, and manipulated Remnant from the shadows to fit his vision." Amber was about to interject, but Instigator held up his hand to stop her. "And, yes, you could level the same statement against My Lady, hiding in the shadows of history while pulling the strings of key players, but that just further proves my point. There is no control. There is no choice. On one side you have My Lady who is branded the villain, and on the other you have Ozpin…the _hero_. Yet, the one who gave them these titles was none other than Ozpin himself who partook in the same schemes, and machinations as My Lady. Then comes the Great War, and after it the huntsmen academies leading future generations into becoming his unknowing soldiers that he fights My Lady with. The history books will tell of 'great huntsmen' that will subsequently inspire even more generations to follow in their footsteps. Was it not an honor, Mrs. Solst?" Instigator gestured towards Amber. "Was it not a great honor to be the personal apprentice to Jager Van Grimmig; legendary huntsmen of our time? People would kill for that kind of chance, you know? And then, the cycle repeats. And, the only way to stop it?" He brings a finger to his lips as a smile plays across his face. "One side must win. Should My Lady win all falsehoods will be wiped clean in the fires of vengeance. Should Ozpin win the world will continue as it has; dancing in the palm of an immortal's hands." He lowered his hand, and gave a shrug. "Personally, I cannot bear to live in Ozpin's 'wonderland'. So, I shall ask you again, Mrs. Solst. Are you nulling our agreement?" Amber stood in silence as the wind softly blew through her hair. She took in a shaky breath, and held it deep in her lungs as she once more asserted her stance. Her fingers lightly touched the beowolf keychain that was attached to the scroll in her pocket. She exhaled.

"I am."

"I see." Instigator's voice was calm, and he folded his hands behind his back. "Though disappointed, I will respect your decision, and hope you can respect mine in turn." As he finished speaking a twig snapped from the bush closest to Amber, and a beowolf lunged out of the brush at her. Using her left heel as a pivot, Amber fired her right boot revolver causing her to deliver a devastating kick at an incredible speed. The beowolf's bone mask shattered as her counterattack caved its skull in. More beowolves emerged from the bushes as Instigator watched on in silence. Amber spat in the dirt, brought up a hand, and motioned for the beowolves to come at her. This seemed to piss the Grimm off as, with a ferocious howl, the pact descended upon her. The lead Grimm lunged with its claws outstretched towards Amber's throat, but missed as Amber activated her semblance to perfectly move out of the way, and position herself to counter. One of her revolver heels was pressed against the Grimm's head before she fired causing the beowolf's head to explode into a bloody mist as it simultaneously evaporated away. Using the momentum from firing her revolver, Amber sent a kick into the second beowolf to reach her that shattered the Grimm's left arm, and sent it tumbling away back into the brush. Amber lunged forward into the advancing Grimm, propelling herself forward with her semblance while simultaneously using her revolvers to dispatch the beowolves. Before she was caught off guard during her fight with the mimic which caused her to lose. Now? Her senses were sharp, and her mind was focused. The beowolves appeared to be moving slowly for Amber as her adrenaline kicked in allowing her to appear almost effortless in her dispatching of the creatures of Grimm. Instigator chuckled as the fighting drew closer, and closer to him, yet he did not move. He merely adjusted his suit, brushed off some dirt that had blown onto one of his pant legs, and stood tall with a contempt smile on his face. With a swift kick Amber dispatched the final beowolf, spun, and sent a bullet through Instigator's chest. For a second, Instigator continued to stand, but then his legs gave out from under him, and he collapsed onto his back. Amber took a few moments to calm her breathing as she came down from her adrenaline high to properly assess the situation. Walking over to the dying man, Amber spoke.

"You didn't dodge?"

"There was…no need…" His smile never left his face as he stared up into the sky. "My part in this tale…is done. Yours though?" He turned his gaze to Amber. "You still have a performance to do; a dance to complete." Amber gave a heavy sigh.

"And, I'll have to be more careful from now on since I'm sure your 'Lady' won't take me killing you lying down." Amber noted which caused Instigator to give a bitter laugh.

"No…No, you have no need to fear…retribution from My Lady."

"Why?" Amber raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Were you…even listening to what I was saying…earlier?" His gaze once more turned towards the sky. The sun was doing its best to peak out from behind some clouds, and rustling leaves on branches blew overhead. "We're all just…puppets…tangled in…strings..." There was a hopelessness in his voice Amber had never heard before. "What's a broken doll…to an immortal?...She will find others…to champion Her cause…I know I wasn't the first…nor will I be the last…But…" Instigator's face looked calm, and his smile was one of genuine joy as he spoke his next words. "To be a humble doll, and be granted…a place at Her side…to know I was of some use…to change the world…Who wouldn't be contempt with such an end?" His chest grew heavy, and Amber watched as his breathing slowed. "Though She will…forget me…To know that I…was once in Her thoughts as…worthy…that's…" Instigator's chest fell one final time, and his eyes slowly glazed over as his life finally faded out. Silence once more took the clearing. After a few moments of silence, Amber gave a sigh, and walked the rest of the distance to her car which was untouched right where she parked it. She sat spacing out in the driver's seat for a few minutes as she played through her head what she would do next. The goal she had spent decades chasing was in her reach. She licked her lips in apprehension, started the car, and silently drove down the path. It took her two days of driving to reach her destination, but she eventually pulled off the road, and into the clearing outside of the Drunken Dragon Inn. The sun was starting to set, and there were lights on she could see through the window. Amber took one final deep breath, and pushed open the front doors. The inside was cozy, though the bar looked like it had gone through a renovation, or repair of some kind.

"Welcome to the Drunken Dragon. Take a-" The bird Faunus who worked there, Henshoku, started giving her welcome speech, but immediately stopped when she saw who had entered. Amber scanned the room to find that all the guests had turned in for the night, and the only people out were herself, Henshoku, and a Faunus with antlers cleaning a table who immediately stopped upon seeing Amber. Slowly, Amber entered the inn as Henshoku, and Mimi continued to stare at her.

"Let's…have a chat."


	98. But Now We're Free

Henshoku set down two cups of water on the table, and quickly backed away. Amber leaned back in her chair while her right hand idly rolled the cup around. Mimi's eyes were sizing up Amber as she sat across from her. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Since sitting there staring at each other wouldn't get anything done Mimi took out her journal, and started writing. " _So, you're here to talk?_ " Amber's eyes moved to the page, and then back to Mimi all while her posture never changed.

"…Yeah."

" _You don't sound so convincing._ "

"Because I'm not." Amber gave a scoff, and took a swig of water. The cup hit the table hard, and she licked her lips in apprehension. "The past couple weeks have been…eye opening to say the least…I'm not even sure I've fully processed everything I've learned." She gave a heavy sigh as her gaze went down, and lingered on the cup of water. There was a mix of emotions coming off of Amber that Mimi could see. While there was killing intent on her there were so many other emotions that Mimi believed Amber in that she didn't even know what she was doing. She took another long swig of water before continuing with, "Frost is dead, by the way." Silence. Mimi's eyes widened in surprise.

 _He's…dead?_ Now it was Mimi's gaze that went down the to cup of water in front of her. She had never intended to give up her revenge. She was planning on eventually going after Frost…eventually. It took a few seconds for Mimi to collect herself enough to write, " _How did you know about Frost?_ "

"Some shady asshole told me." Mimi raised an eyebrow. "He worked for some 'Lady' that is in some kind of feud with Ozpin." Amber's eyes were intently watching Mimi for a reaction when she said 'Ozpin'. The slight clenching of Mimi's fists at the mention of the name told her all she needed. "So, you do know about Ozpin?" Mimi slowly nodded.

" _What does Frost have to do with Ozpin, and Salem's war?_ "

"Salem?" Now it was Amber who raised an eyebrow.

" _That's who the 'Lady' the shady guy was talking about probably was. She has control over the creatures of Grimm, and is in some kind of long running war with Ozpin; from what I can gather._ " As Amber read Mimi's words she started nodding.

"Well, that would explain why he had beowolves escorting him." She rolled her eyes in annoyance, and gave another heavy sigh. "Apparently, Ozpin tried to recruit Frost to his side once, which is how he learned about everything…He killed himself as he wanted his death to be his own choice rather than as part of some plot by either of **them**." Mimi cast her gaze down. She'd never thought Frost would take his own life. Amber's words brought Mimi out of her thoughts. "Is she…also immortal…like Ozpin?" Uncertainty was wafting off Amber as she spoke.

 _Then again, the concepts of immortals is kind of crazy to the average person._ Mimi gave a nod. " _While I don't know much about her I do know that at least Ozpin is an immortal as when I fought in the Great War I remember meeting him as the last king of Vale._ "

"…Right…" She shook her head. Then, she turned to Henshoku. "Could I get a Hunter's Gut Twister?" The sudden attention made Henshoku jump a little, but there was no malice in Amber's voice so Henshoku felt a little relieved.

"Ah- Certainly. One moment."

"Thanks." The air of arrogance that Mimi remembered when she had fought against Amber was completely gone. "I have a feeling I'm gonna need at least one drink before this day is done." Her voice was dejected as she brought a hand up, and rubbed her temples. After another heavy sigh she continued, "Honestly…immortals…magic…" She brought her hand down, and looked at Mimi. "And sentient Grimm that help out struggling Faunus'. I'd probably be in a loony bin if anyone heard what I'd learned." Henshoku returned, and placed down a full mug of a rather frothy foam just staying inside the mug. "Thanks," she said again, and took a long swig. "Aaaah~. That's what I needed for this."

" _So, you're not here to kill me?_ " Amber gave a sigh as she finished another swig, and read the journal.

"Quick frankly, mimic, I don't even know what's true anymore since, apparently, our world is being puppeteered by two immortals to some unknown end with quite literal magic." She waived her hand dismissively. "All I can do is figure out what I can, and make my own choices; which leads me to my business with you." The mug was set down on the table, and Amber shifted in her seat so that she was leaning over the table towards Mimi. "I'd like to hear your story." Mimi's face betrayed no emotion for reaction, so Amber continued. "I know…to a degree…that you aren't a normal creature of Grimm. I know you had a vendetta against Frost, Professor Shiro, and the Desert Fox of Atlas." At the mention of Fox's name Mimi's eyes narrowed. "I know you killed Jade." There was a pause as the two stared at each other for a few moments of silence before Amber continued. "I know 'what' happened, but I don't know 'why' they happened. Frost filled me in on what he knew on his end, but that was an outsider's perspective, and I want to know what you really are…If you're willing to share?" Mimi licked her lips apprehensively, and sighed.

" _It's a bit long, so give me a bit of time to write it all down._ " Amber shrugged.

"I've got time, and money if you're willing to let me stay the night?" She glanced over at Henshoku. Henshoku looked at Mimi who gave a small nod.

"So long as there are no…incidents I see no issue." Amber handed her some lien for the night, and went to one of the empty rooms. It took Mimi all night, and into the late morning of the next day of none stop writing to fully write down her story. She did her best to condense it, but not too much as she didn't want to leave out any details as she felt she owed Amber for dragging her into this nonsensical fairy tale they were all unknowingly apart of. When Mimi offered her the book Amber hesitated for a brief moment as she contemplated what would lie within the writings, but she pushed herself forward, found a comfy seat on one of the sofas, and thoroughly read the entire tale. The day otherwise went on as normal: an occasional customer would come in, others would check out, and Sola stopped by with his friends for a brief visit before going back home for the night. Henshoku had even left a drink, and plate of food for Amber on the table next to the sofa for her when dinner time rolled around which Amber, with a grace Mimi had never seen, accepted. As it was nearing midnight, Amber finished reading, closed the journal, gave a exasperated sigh, and collapsed onto her back on the sofa. Mimi walked over, and sat in a chair next to the sofa.

"This…really is some kind of fucked up fairy tale…isn't it?" Mimi gave a nod. Amber rubbed her eyes, and gave a groan in frustration. Her arms limply fell to her side as she stared at the ceiling. "Is…Jade really…?" She turned her head to face Mimi. Mimi nodded, and materialized Kinderträumen. Amber's eyes stared at the glaive, and her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out.

" _She's in here, or I'm just crazy, and imagining she is._ " Mimi pointed to her heart as that was where she felt Jade's soul the strongest. As she continued to watch Amber, Mimi could feel Jade's soul inside her welling up with emotion at the sight of her friend in such a state. " _She's done a lot to help me remember what it means to be human._ " When Amber finished reading the note she did something Mimi wasn't fully expecting; she laughed. It was both genuine, and bitter at the same time.

"Of course that numb skull would find some way to do something crazy like in those comic books. Teaching a human-Grimm to re-find its lost humanity…Giving it her soul, and semblance to defeat a super powered magic wizard." Her laughing subsided into chuckles as she controlled herself. "She really did live, and die by those stupid books." Mimi also gave a chuckle as she could feel Jade pouting because her comics were being insulted, and she couldn't do anything about it. "Huuuuuuuh, fuck..." Henshoku brought over a Hunter's Gut Twister. "You know what?" Amber abruptly sat up. "I just thought of what I want to do about you." Henshoku tensed up, and Mimi remained still. "While I can understand why you did what you did…heck…I spent a good decade of my life consumed in revenge against you for taking my best friend. But, there's still the matter that a lot of innocent people were killed along your journey." Mimi's mind wandered back to the Neuanfang. "So, I'm going to offer you a deal." Both Henshoku, and Mimi raised an eyebrow at this. "Considering I don't currently have access to the archives I can't look it up right now, but you've definitely caused the deaths of a few thousand innocents, so let's round it, and say five thousand innocents died along your journey. There was the Gardenfell, and Neuanfang incidents so it's safe to assume that many at the least." Amber took Mimi's journal, and wrote down the number 5,000. "Here's the deal: you, and I are going to travel around, and you're going to take on one huntsman request for every innocent killed." Mimi's eyes widened, and she blinked in surprise.

 _I'm…NOT going to have to fight you?_ Amber saw the surprise on Mimi's face, and commented.

"After speaking with Frost…I'm tired of being a puppet. And, while technically taking on huntsman requests is playing into Ozpin's goals for Remnant, and the huntsman as a whole…it's something I know Jade genuinely believed in. So, that's what we're going to do; not for Ozpin, but for us, and for Jade." Mimi was taken aback to say the least as Amber's deal was rather enticing instead of fighting her. But… "As for whatever agreement you have with Henshoku I can accept taking on requests here in Mistral." Mimi blinked in surprise, and Henshoku's eyes widened at Amber seemingly reading their minds on the matter. "And, actually…" She crossed out the 5,000 to instead wrote down 4,999. "You've got one down thanks to her." At this point, Mimi couldn't help but start to giggle, and laugh. This kind of ending…

 _I wasn't expecting this…but…_ Mimi took the journal back, and wrote her reply. " _If I recall huntsman teams need a name, right?_ " Amber smiled.

"Yeah, we usually do, and it's usually color related combining the first letter of our names, but there isn't much we can do with 'M', and 'A' on their own."

"Hey!" Henshoku chimed in, and folded her arms. "You two would be using my inn as a home, so you'd better consider me in that team."

"You're not actually fighting tho-" Amber tried to retort, but Henshoku held a finger to her mouth; all fear of Amber Henshoku had seemingly gone as a friendly atmosphere started to form between them.

"My inn. My say." Mimi gave a chuckle as Amber rolled her eyes. Giving it some thought, Mimi wrote down something in her journal, turned it towards the other two, and tapped it to get their attention.

" _Henshoku. Amber. Mimi._ " It took a few seconds, but they eventually got it.

"No." Was Amber's immediate response. "We are not calling ourselves-"

"Team HAM!" Henshoku gave a happy jump as her name was first. Amber's head fell into her hands as she gave a groan.

" _Nothing wrong with having a little fun in life is there?_ " Mimi gave Amber a sly grin.

"Pfft, yeah yeah." Although she waived her hand dismissively at the idea, Mimi could see the joyful emotions rising off of Amber, and the smile that was on her lips. "Alright, then." Amber stood, faced Mimi, and extended her hand out. "Let's get started, Mimi Valus." Mimi also stood, matched the smile on Amber, and Henshoku's faces, and gave Amber's hand a firm shake.

"Let's get started _tomorrow_." Henshoku gave a yawn. "Mimi may not need sleep, but you, and I do." Amber chuckled as an entire day of reading did leave her eyes rather tired, and having a heavy weight lifted off her shoulders left her wanting a good night's sleep. Henshoku, and Amber turned in leaving Mimi alone in her thoughts. Idly, she wandered out the front door, and into the pale moonlight that peaked its way through the trees. There was a breeze, but it was rather pleasant as the chill of winter was replaced by the warmth of spring. Mimi smiled as she felt Jade's soul glowing inside her with pride. She looked up to the moon, and extended her open hand out to it. Once, she was told there were no happy endings for monsters like her. Once, her life was consumed with nothing but revenge; a revenge that cost a dear friend, and numerous people their lives. Now? Mimi smiled, and clenched her hand into a fist as she grasped her new ending, her new companions, and her new beginning.

* * *

Two years ago, on November 25th, 2017, I published the first chapter of Mimic thanks to the pushing of some of my friends. I had the idea of Mimi's story for a while, but was always to afraid to write it down, and publish it as I never thought my writing would be good enough to warrant being read. Why would anyone want to read my story when there are so many others worth reading? But, thanks to the pestering of some good friends I wrote, and released the first chapter. And, two years & 98 chapters later, I have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who've stuck with me, and followed dear Mimi through her journey across Remnant. I hope you enjoyed, and once again, thank you for reading.


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